Welcome to the fifth update about Journey to Belonging: Choice and Inclusion.
As we work together to advance our shared goals, we are committed to keeping you informed. In this edition, I want to share some of the work that is having an impact now and setting foundations for our vision in Journey to Belonging.
One of the central commitments in Journey to Belonging is developing a new funding approach, including options for people to direct their own supports. This includes a focus on designing individualized budgets, which will allow people to have more choice and flexibility about how they receive the services and supports they need.
We are engaging with sector partners on how to best develop a new funding approach, and in October 2024 we formed a Technical Table on the Design of Individualized Budgets to provide advice on the future funding approach. The Technical Table brings together people from the developmental services sector with diverse experiences in service delivery across various regions of the province. It includes providers who operate in both urban and rural areas, and have expertise in serving a range of different populations such as Francophone and Indigenous communities.
We expect to continue working with the Technical Table until late Spring 2025, and we will continue to engage with broader stakeholders, including individuals and families. This is part of our commitment to keeping all of our partners informed on our work to reform developmental services in Ontario.
I am also aware there are some misunderstandings about the future funding approach.
I want to clarify that the approach we are developing will provide a way to determine budgets for people based on their assessed needs. As outlined in Journey to Belonging, the intent is to offer people more choice and flexibility in the services they can access. It does not necessarily mean that their existing services or support arrangements will change.
I’d like to share some other examples of how we’re working with and supporting the DS sector to strengthen services for people with a developmental disability:
- The ministry continues to work with the sector on the Workforce Strategy.
o The Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development Task Group has developed the Recruitment & Retention Toolkit, which will help employers attract and retain skilled workers. The Toolkit is now available on the RealXchange website.
o The ministry remains committed to supporting the delivery of Operational Leaders and Emerging Leaders training programs this year. These initiatives aim to enhance leadership skills and are available for all employers. Interested participants are encouraged to visit the Provincial Network on Developmental Services website to find more information on available training.
- The ministry continues to raise awareness about the impact of human trafficking on individuals with a developmental disability. As part of its five-year review of the Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy, the ministry collected feedback through online public engagement forums. The ministry also hosted sector-specific engagement sessions, including engagements with survivors of human trafficking, to better understand key trends, emerging issues, and the impact of existing anti-human trafficking efforts.
- As part of raising awareness about human trafficking, the ministry provided Developmental Services agencies across Ontario with Anti-Human Trafficking public awareness materials, in English and French, to distribute to people accessing developmental services:
o Youth Awareness Materials: Postcards and posters to raise general awareness among youth.
o Speak Out: Stop Sex Trafficking Campaign Materials: Postcards, posters, flyers, brochures, and a facilitator discussion guide, mainly for Indigenous communities.
o Anti-Human Trafficking public awareness materials can be requested by contacting antitrafficking@ontario.ca.
- As mentioned in past updates, the ministry has developed learning modules and webinars to build more awareness regarding human-trafficking and its impact on people with developmental disabilities:
o Human Trafficking 101 on the Real Xchange
o The Impact of Anti-Human Trafficking in the Developmental Services Sector on Partners for Planning website.
- In addition, the ministry is providing funding to assist people with developmental disabilities who have been impacted by human trafficking:
- Montage Support Services is offering a customized 3-hour training program for service agencies in both the Developmental Services and Anti-Human Trafficking sectors. The training program focuses on how to identify and support individuals with developmental disabilities who have been impacted by human trafficking.
- Montage Support Services is also offering referrals to appropriate services and supports for people with developmental disabilities who have been sexually exploited and/or human trafficked.
In addition, we are continuing to collaborate with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ministry of Health, and other ministry partners to address ongoing challenges and improve the supportive housing system.
The Family Support Networks Grant Program awarded 41 grants in 2024/25 using a public call for applications. This program, administered by Ontario Caregivers Organization, continues to strengthen Family Support Networks across the province by making it easier for families and caregivers to find peer support in their community, share information, and build connections to enhance wellbeing.
For more information and resources about the Family Support Networks Grant Program, please visit the Capacity-Building Grants for Family Support Networks webpage here.
In May 2024, MCCSS provided an engagement update to individuals with a developmental disability and their families/caregivers on Journey to Belonging: Choice and Inclusion. It included a live Q&A with representatives from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. This session was recorded and can be accessed here.
The Knowledge Transfer and Translation Hub and Network continues to host Core Competency Cafes, Cultivating Community Wellness Chats, and Operational Leaders Community of Practice on the Real Xchange website. Key topics such as grief support and strategies for facilitating mental health issues are discussed to foster learning and share insights for addressing common challenges.
The Ministry of Colleges and Universities is currently conducting a review of the Developmental Support Worker college program curriculum, while in parallel, the Apprenticeship Standards are being reviewed by Skilled Trades Ontario. Both reviews are being carried out in collaboration with the DS sector.
As part of its commitment to improving the Integrated Employment Services (IES) model, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) launched the IES Stakeholder Engagement Series earlier this year. Currently, MLITSD is conducting targeted engagements focused on the unique experiences of job seekers with disabilities within the IES pathway. As part of these efforts, MLITSD is engaging with service providers in the employment services sector, Ontarians, and employers to identify challenges and explore opportunities to enhance the model – and better support job seekers with disabilities.
Please share this email with others who might be interested, and contact dscsengagements@ontario.ca if you would like to be added to or removed from our distribution list.
Thank you for reading.
Jacqueline Cureton
Interim Assistant Deputy Minister
Community Service Division
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services