TORONTO — Ontario is the latest province to do away with the practice of birth alerts.
The provincial government announced today it will order an end to the system that sees children’s aid societies send notifications to hospitals if they believe a newborn is at risk.
The government says research suggests the alerts have disproportionately targeted racialized families, and it’s committed to creating a more culturally appropriate child welfare system.
It says that while birth alerts have never been required under provincial law, they have been inconsistently applied across children’s aid societies.
The government says the practice must end by October 15, and societies must instead work with hospitals and community-based service providers to come up with pre and post-natal plans that better support families.
The announcement comes two weeks after the Manitoba government officially ended birth alerts in that province, a move that took effect on July 1.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2020.
The Canadian Press
