The Ontario government has invested an additional $2 million in Five Counties Children’s Centre, a charitable organization serving children with special needs in the counties of Haliburton, Northumberland, and Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith and Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott were at the organization’s Peterborough location at 872 Dutton Road on Thursday (October 12) to announce the increase in funding, which is part of the Ontario government’s $330-million investment in pediatric health services for children and youth announced this summer.
“This long-term funding commitment demonstrates the Ontario government’s commitment to support the health and well-being of children and youth in our province, including right here at home,” MPP Smith says in a media release.
The additional funding means Five Counties will see its provincial funding increase by $2,024,625 per year, with $1,714,000 going towards community and school-based rehabilitation and $310,625 for preschool speech and language services.
“Five Counties is a pillar of our community that offers supports to so many children in a variety of ways,” says MPP Scott. “Our government is proud to continue to support the Centre’s commitment to improving the lives of those in our communities with their innovative treatment programs.”
According to Five Counties CEO Scott Pepin, the funding increase means the organization can serve more children, youth, and families and reduce wait times for children’s treatment services such as speech, occupational, and physio therapies, which can be as long as 18 to 24 months in some cases.
“We’re extremely grateful to the Ontario government for this additional investment in children’s treatment services,” Pepin says. “This is a huge win for our kids and families, as it will allow us to see and serve more families to help get them the treatment they need when they need it.”
The increase in funding will help Five Counties retain existing staff and recruit new staff, filling current vacancies and add more clinicians in areas of high-demand services.
“Investing in our staff means we can invest in important treatment services that benefit our kids and families,” Pepin adds. “The funding also allows us to be more competitive and an employer of choice, especially to fill hard-to-recruit therapy positions that are often in high demand and short supply.”
Along with other treatments services for children, Five Counties provides speech, physio, and occupational therapies through its locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg, Campbellford, and Minden, as well as in area schools and other community settings. In the past year, Five Counties served more than 6,200 children and youth in the region, the highest number of annual clients the organization’s nearly 50-year history.
In 2022-23, the Ontario government provided over $9.5 million in funding for Five Counties Children’s Centre, with most of the organization’s remaining revenue coming from the City of Peterborough at almost $3 million, Northumberland County at almost $1.3 million, and fundraising and donations at almost $550,000. The additional $2 million in funding represents an increase of over 20 per cent in the organization’s 2022-23 provincial funding.
