As we’ve shared before, the College has received increased reports of unauthorized practitioners working with pregnant people in Ontario. We take the unauthorized and illegal practice of midwifery very seriously. When we receive reports, we work to address these instances to ensure the public remains confident in receiving safe and ethical care from qualified midwives.
Most of the reports we receive come from midwives. We will usually ask the reporter if the client involved is willing to speak to the College. The answer is often “no” – or reluctance to engage in this conversation for various and valid reasons. However, we can best act on unauthorized practice reports when we receive information from a person who interacted directly with the individual.
We know that for pregnant people, choosing how and with whom they give birth is one of the most personal decisions they will ever make. We’ve put together a fact sheet to help people understand the potential safety risks in choosing care outside of regulated midwifery, and share how regulation protects the public.
The fact sheet explains the laws about who can provide pregnancy and birth care in Ontario. It also shares what to look for and how to share information with the College. The information is written for the public, and in particular, pregnant people and the people who care about them.
We hope this fact sheet is a useful tool for all, but midwives may find it to be a valuable resource to share with clients and members of the public in certain circumstances. It may avoid a midwife engaging in a conversation that may affect trust with their client. It lets the College tell our own regulation story without relying on a midwife to have a potentially difficult conversation.
We’ve prepared the fact sheet in several formats including in digital and print. If your midwifery practice would like us to provide printed copies, please email cmo@cmo.on.ca to let us know and if there is significant interest we can have some printed.