Note: This article was originally published in our Winter 2019 edition of our On Call newsletter, and has not been updated.
Dear midwives,
Throughout December and January, the College received much support from the public and members regarding the value of our work. I want to thank those that reached out to the College, and acknowledge the positive impact that support had on all of us. I know questions remain about the status of the College’s funding, and I want to let you know where we currently stand.
As you are aware, the College is funded through member fees, and historically, we have also received operational funding from the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. At this time, our Ministry funding is under review. We do not yet know if we will receive Ministry funding for the 2018-2019 fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, or any future years. Regardless of this uncertainty, midwives can trust that the College will continue to regulate midwifery in the public interest. Council will be considering membership fee increases at its March 20, 2019 meeting. I want to assure you that we are doing our best to minimize membership fee increases by finding additional efficiencies at the College and making budget cuts where we can.
We will post details regarding proposed membership fee increases to our website in advance of our March 20, 2019 Council meeting and will stay in touch with you as we make decisions or have more information to share.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Haidon RM
President
College of Midwives of Ontario