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College of Midwives of Ontario

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Home News On Call Newsletter April Special Council Meeting Highlights

April Special Council Meeting Highlights

Note: This article was originally published in the Summer 2023 edition of our On Call newsletter and has not been updated.

Language Proficiency Policy

Midwives practising in Ontario must have a high level of professional language, in a range of communication domains including information sharing, arranging consultations, communicating emergency management, counseling, and facilitating informed choice and consent. Midwives must also be able to function competently in academic environments for ongoing professional education, review of academic papers and medical literature, and to present clinical case management in practices and hospitals. 

On April 14, 2022, Bill 106 (Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness Act, 2022), received Royal Assent. As part of this bill, the Regulated Health Profession Act, 1991 (RHPA) was amended (along with the filing of Ontario Regulation 508/22) requiring health professions to recognize the language proficiency tests approved under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). In addition to any tests already accepted for registration purposes, health professions are now required to recognize these new tests to meet any language proficiency requirement. 

To meet the above requirements and based on the Registration Regulation, Council passed a Language Proficiency Policy to set out the requirements for language proficiency in English or French that applies to those seeking registration.

Under the new policy, applicants must demonstrate language proficiency in one of the following ways:

  • Graduation from a recognized program of midwifery education in English or French in any jurisdiction in Canada;
  • Registration as a midwife in a Canadian jurisdiction;
  • Successful results on an English or French language proficiency test acceptable to the College.

You can review the new policy on our website.

Registration Regulation 

Council reviewed the draft proposed Registration Regulation along with the information received in our public consultation earlier this spring. Council approved the draft regulation for submission to the Ministry. See page six for more information.

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