The College of Midwives of Ontario is thrilled to be celebrating 30 years of midwifery regulation in Ontario.
Midwifery is a highly respected skill. We recognize that midwifery clients choose midwives as their primary-care providers for a reason – they value midwifery care, and we value it too.
The College of Midwives of Ontario is mandated to regulate midwifery in the public interest. For 30 years, we have worked 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. We have supported midwives in providing their best care to clients – and we’ve been there for clients when they need us.
Since the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 and the Midwifery Act, 1991, were enacted on January 1, 1994, Ontario’s midwives have been fully integrated within the public health care system and care for parents and babies through pregnancy, childbirth and into infancy. Midwives provide care in various settings, including homes, clinics, hospitals, and birth centres. Ontario’s midwives are primary care providers who provide comprehensive, person-centred care in accordance with the Professional Standards
The College is proud of our record of partnering with registrants, the public health care system, and the government. Throughout the last 30 years, the College has ensured the existence of – and access to – safe, ethical, and skilled midwifery care.
We regulate by:
- Registering midwives, so every midwife entering practice has the education and experience to provide quality care.
- Establishing high standards of care and holding all midwives accountable to meeting the standards.
- Requiring practising midwives to maintain an active practice and continuous professional development.
- Investigating and responding to concerns or complaints about the care provided by midwives.
- Maintaining a public register which provides the public with easy access to information about every midwife who practises in Ontario.
- Working actively to modernize our regulatory framework to allow for the evolution of midwifery care in the public interest.
- Implementing an equity framework to ensure that the diversity of midwives and midwifery clients are all equitably served by the College.
Click to enlarge the 30 Year Timeline. Find out more about each item by clicking on the text.