Government funding cut a financial blow for Ontario midwives, association says
TORONTO — The association representing Ontario midwives is “very disappointed” about the province’s decision to cut funding to the birth practitioners’ regulatory college, saying the already underpaid workers will likely see a jump in professional fees to help cover the shortfall.
“Midwives really do shoulder a proportionally higher burden of professional fees through our regulatory college to begin with,” Elizabeth Brandeis, president of the Association of Ontario Midwives, said Friday. “So this cut of government support really does put that extra burden on midwives.”
Brandeis was reacting to a statement by the College of Midwives of Ontario on its website Thursday that the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care would no longer provide it with operational grants.
The college said it has received annual grants from the ministry for 25 years and the loss of this funding creates a “significant” budgetary shortfall and will force it to operate with a deficit until at least 2021.