The College of Midwives of Ontario is increasingly aware of individuals who are providing care they are not authorized by law to provide. Only midwives registered with the College of Midwives of Ontario and Indigenous midwives are able to provide midwifery care in Ontario. Please see the public advisory below.
The College takes the unauthorized and illegal practice of midwifery very seriously. It works to address these instances to ensure the public remains confident in receiving safe and ethical care from qualified midwives.
Registered midwives must demonstrate that they have the necessary knowledge, competence, and qualifications to practise, and the College holds them accountable.
Members of the public should be aware that when receiving pregnancy, labour, and birth care from an unregulated individual, there is no assurance that the individual has the necessary knowledge, competence, or qualifications. The individual is not accountable to a regulatory body.
Public Advisory
The College is sharing the names of the following individuals who have come to their attention and has taken action to address for concerns of engaging in one or more of the following activities:
- Perform controlled acts
- Use the title “midwife” or a variation or abbreviation of the term
- Hold themselves out as qualified to practise the profession in Ontario
- Provide advice or treatment that may result in serious bodily harm
Nidhi Seth, Vaughan and other Ontario locations. Court Order
Madison Singh, Ottawa and other Ontario locations. Court Order
Tiffany Klassen, Ontario locations.
Judith McGill, Toronto and other Ontario locations.
If you have reason to believe an individual is operating an unauthorized practice and their name does not appear on this list, please contact the College at conduct@cmo.on.ca.
What is Unauthorized or Illegal Practice?
The College of Midwives of Ontario considers certain acts performed by individuals who are not registrants of the College to be unauthorized and illegal practice. These acts may include:
- Performing controlled acts authorized to midwives*: Individuals who are not registered with the College are not entitled to perform controlled acts authorized to midwives under the Midwifery Act, 1991. These acts include, but are not limited to, managing labour and conducting spontaneous normal vaginal deliveries.
- Using the title of midwife*: Under the Midwifery Act, 1991, Only midwives are authorized to use the title “midwife” or a variation, abbreviation, or equivalent in another language.
- Holding oneself out as qualified to practise in Ontario in a specialty of midwifery*: Under the Midwifery Act, 1991, Individuals who are not registered with the College are not allowed to hold themselves out as qualified to practise midwifery in Ontario. This means that they cannot claim to have the necessary qualifications and expertise to provide midwifery services.
- Providing advice or treatment that may result in serious bodily harm: Under Section 30 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA), individuals who are not regulated health professionals should not treat or advise a person with respect to their health in circumstances in which it is reasonably foreseeable that serious bodily harm may result from the treatment or advice or from an omission from them. The College is concerned when unregulated individuals provide advice that could pose a serious risk of harm to pregnant and birthing people and their newborns.
*The only exception to the first three items on this list is Indigenous persons who provide traditional midwifery services. They may use the title “Aboriginal midwife” or a variation, abbreviation, or equivalent in another language.
Verifying or Reporting an Unauthorized or Illegal Midwifery Practice
The College encourages members of the public to use the College’s Midwife Directory to verify whether an individual is a registrant of the College and authorized to perform midwifery services.
Anyone else engaging in the activities described above may be operating an unauthorized practice and the College encourages that the conduct be reported to the College.
If you are unable to find your midwife’s name on the public register or want to speak to someone about unauthorized or illegal practice, please contact the College by email to conduct@cmo.on.ca or by phone at 416.640.2252.
Process for Addressing Unauthorized or Illegal Practice
When the College has information that suggests an individual is engaging in a form of unauthorized practice, there are steps it can take. Each situation is assessed on a case-to-case basis.
The College may issue cease and desist letters to order an individual to stop their unauthorized activity and provide evidence of doing so. In the event that individuals do not cease and desist from unauthorized activities, the College may pursue other avenues to ensure public protection. The College may take legal action and seek an injunction to enforce compliance with the Midwifery Act, 1991 and the RHPA.
It is considered an offence to breach section 30 or section 27 of the RHPA, or section 8 of the Midwifery Act, 1991. Persons found guilty of an offence may be fined up to $25,000.00 and imprisoned for up to six months.
The College may post the names and location of individuals we have taken action against on our website.
The College can only investigate when it has sufficient information to support that an individual is engaging in activities without authorization. The College relies on the public and registered midwives to make reports to the College.