Ford government cuts funding for Ontario midwives

The organization that regulates Ontario midwives says the Ford government has cut its funding.

The College of Midwives of Ontario has received annual grants from the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care for 25 years.

It was recently told those grants would no longer be provided.

“We were also advised that this decision is retroactive to April 1, 2018,” the college said in a statement on its website.

“This means that the funding we had anticipated for the current fiscal year will not be received. We received this news on November 8, 2018, eight months into our fiscal year.”

The funding cuts will not impact service. Because their work is mandated by law, it can’t cut its services and programs.

The college says it will operate with a deficit until at least 2021 and will have to find efficiencies to cut costs.

The ministry has not responded to requests for comment.