We protect client safety and regulate midwifery in the public interest
The College of Midwives of Ontario regulates practising midwives in the province of Ontario by:
- Ensuring that midwives meet high standards, and
- Acting when risks are identified.
The midwifery profession includes solo midwife practices and group practices. Midwives provide care in a variety of settings including homes, clinics, hospitals, and birth centres. All midwives follow the same professional principles and standards of practice. We provide guidance to help them do so.
Our Mandate
The College is mandated to serve and protect the public interest. We have a duty to ensure that midwives in Ontario are qualified, skilled, and competent to practise so all Ontarians can be confident in the care they receive from registered midwives.
Additionally, we work in consultation with the Minister of Health to ensure, as a matter of public interest, that the people of Ontario have access to adequate numbers of registered midwives.
Accordingly,
- We maintain regulatory programs, regulations, and standards that are evidence-informed; proportionate; responsive to public and health system needs; and support the evolving practice of midwifery.
- We proactively work with system partners, enhancing interprofessional collaboration to support safe and ethical client-centred care.
- We provide midwives with resources and tools and work with system partners to assist midwives in meeting their regulatory requirements; helping to ensure professional development and ongoing competence.
- We monitor data and engage with the public, registrants, system partners, and decision makers to support access to safe and effective midwifery care.
- We support efforts to ensure the ongoing sustainability of, and access to, midwifery education; and pathways to registration to address the primary care needs in Ontario.
- We investigate and respond to concerns or complaints about the care provided by midwives and work to address instances of unauthorized or illegal practice.
- We work to ensure that the diversity of midwifery clients and midwives are all equitably served by the College.
Our Guiding Principles
Our work as a regulator is grounded in principles that reflect our responsibilities and our values. These principles guide how we work to evolve regulatory systems, engage key communities, and deliver our regulatory programming to meet our strategic objectives and uphold the public interest.
Public Accountability and Trust
People deserve to understand how regulatory decisions are made in the public interest.
We interact with the public and registrants in ways that are respectful, compassionate, and accessible — clear communication and listening are the bridge to trust.
Equity, Inclusion, and Reconciliation
Public interest is rooted in equity, inclusion, reconciliation, and cultural humility.
We continuously reflect on our practices; identify and remove systemic barriers; champion diverse knowledge systems and lived experiences; and ensure regulation contributes to trust, safety, and belonging.
Evidence-Informed Innovation and Evolution
Regulatory excellence relies on a commitment to continuous learning, evolution, and adaptation.
We support safe and sustainable evolution in midwifery regulation and practice through evidence-informed, responsive, and proportionate risk-based regulation.
Meaningful Engagement and Strategic Collaboration
Guided by our mandate, we tap into collective knowledge to meet system needs.
We engage strategically with the communities we serve and key system partners through dialogue, reflection, and collaboration.
Strategic Documents
The College’s Strategic Plan is a high-level statement of the College’s vision, mission, outcomes, and key priorities through 2029.
It paves the way forward for the organization and builds a stronger sense of common purpose and direction. Additionally, it facilitates a shared understanding of why we exist, what guides our work, and what we want to achieve as an organization.
Our Vision
Fostering trust and confidence through regulatory excellence.
Our Mission
Regulating midwifery in the public interest.
Priorities
- Strengthen Regulatory Integrity, Clarity, and Responsiveness
- Advance Access, Equity, and Reconciliation
- Collaboration and System Alignment
- Enhance Organizational Capacity
Governance
Governance Policies
The Board has approved a set of Governance Policies that outline the processes, principles, and standards that guide Board activities and decision-making. The policies also outline descriptions and expectations of the different roles on the Board.
Governance Education Modules (GEM)
The Governance Education Modules (GEM) is online training that introduces participants to governance as it applies to the regulation of the midwifery profession in Ontario. These are open to anyone interested in understanding the role of the College.
General By-law
The College’s by-laws are the rules that govern how the College operates. The Code (s. 94) authorizes the Board to make by-laws relating to administrative and internal affairs of the College. By-laws are approved by the Board of the College, and do not require the submission to the Ministry.
Fees and Remuneration By-law
The Fees and Remuneration By-law covers initial application fees and annual registrant fees for midwives in all classes of registration.
Board & Committees
The College’s work is overseen by a Board, which sets the strategic direction of the College and ensures our long-term success. The Board also holds staff accountable for the way we fulfill our regulatory mandate and duties.
Committees are established by the College’s Board and perform statutory functions assigned to them under the authority of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA), or other non-statutory duties determined by the Board.
Board Meetings
The Board meets a minimum of three times a year to stay accountable to members of the public, registrants of the College, and our system partners. Meetings are open to all midwives and to the public to attend.
Directors and Members
The College’s Board is composed of Professional Elected Directors, who are elected by their peers in accordance with the procedures and criteria outlined in the College’s General By-law, and Public Appointed Directors, are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
Elections and Appointments
Each year, the College holds online elections for professional member vacancies on the Board. These positions are filled by candidates who are registered midwives with the College. The College also appoints members of the public and the profession who are not Board Directors to serve on statutory and non-statutory committees.
Leadership
Chair of the College of Midwives of Ontario
Claire Ramlogan-Salanga, RM
The Chair is responsible for ensuring the College’s strategy is formulated clearly and is well understood both internally and externally. The Chair has no responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the College but has an important role with stakeholders.
- Ensuring that the Board meets with sufficient frequency
- Ensuring that the Board devotes sufficient time and attention to the matters within its mandated responsibilities
- Helping to ensure that the Board and its members have the information necessary to make decisions
- Facilitating the running of the Board
- Maintaining and developing a productive relationship with the College Registrar & CEO
- With the Registrar, leading the communication of the College’s strategic direction and its policies with the public, College registrants, and key stakeholders
- Raising the profile of the College, and establishing and maintaining high-level contacts.
To contact the Chair, please email: chair@cmo.on.ca
Claire Ramlogan-Salanga joined the College in 2017. Prior to being elected President in October 2019, she served as the College’s Vice-President (Professional) from 2018, and sat on the Registration, Quality Assurance, Discipline, and Fitness to Practise Committees.
Claire graduated from Ryerson University’s Midwifery Education Program (MEP) in 2015 and continued on to practice in Guelph, Ontario. Claire enjoys giving back to the MEP by teaching in class, precepting on site and volunteering at both Toronto Metropolitan University and McMaster University sites. Her Bachelor of Commerce degree (2003) and midwifery experience places Claire in a unique position to provide constructive feedback while serving on Council.
Claire envisions a future for midwifery to be substantially more inclusive, diverse, and sustainable in order to serve all Ontario families equally. Claire is a mother of four active boys and wife to a supportive husband.
Registrar & CEO
Kelly Dobbin
The Registrar & CEO is responsible for fulfilling the statutory responsibilities of the College as set out in the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) and for implementing the strategy set by the Board. She is also responsible for the leadership of the College.
The Registrar’s key statutory responsibilities include:
- Ensuring the College’s public register is available to clients and members of the public
- Performing registration duties such as registering and reinstating applicants, referring applications to the Registration Committee, and suspending midwives who do not renew their registration with the College
- Receiving complaints and mandatory reports, and ensuring they are addressed according to the legislation
- Notifying College registrants of certain legislative changes and proposals.
The Registrar’s other responsibilities include:
- Reporting regularly to the Board with appropriate, timely, and quality information so the the Board can discharge its responsibilities effectively
- Informing and consulting the Board on all matters of significance to the College so that the Board can properly perform their responsibilities
- Developing and delivering the strategic objectives set by the Board
- Recommending significant operational changes and major expenditures to the Board where these are beyond the Registrar’s authority
- Communicating throughout the College the strategic objectives and the values of the College set by the Board, and ensuring that these are achieved in practice
- Recruiting and retaining staff to work at the College.
All College staff report to the Registrar & CEO.
Kelly Dobbin, RM, MA, MSc
Kelly became an Ontario registered midwife in 1996 and since then has contributed to the field of midwifery as a community midwife, president of Council at the College of Midwives, and as a policy consultant. Kelly currently serves as Treasurer of the Canadian Midwifery Regulators Council and is a Board member of the Health Profession Regulators of Ontario. Kelly holds a Master of Arts in Feminist Health Care and a Master of Science in Public Health.
Reports
The College is committed to accountability and transparency in the work of regulating midwifery in the public interest. We demonstrate this by providing regular reports that detail the progress we’re making in fulfilling our legislative mandates and carrying out the direction set by the Board.
College Performance Measurement Framework (CPMF)
This annual report is mandated to be submitted to the Ministry of Health to be accountable and transparent about how well we perform the work of regulating midwifery.
Office of the Fairness Commissioner
This required annual report provides a detailed overview of the College’s registration practices to ensure they meet the standards of fairness, transparency, objectivity, and impartiality for registrants.
Annual Reports
The College publishes its annual report each year to provide an overview and update on strategic and operational activities for each fiscal year.
Regulatory Performance Measurement Framework
In 2019, the College created this framework to report to demonstrate our effectiveness in delivering on the work of regulating midwifery in Ontario.
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