The Ministry of Health (ministry) and the Association of Ontario Midwives (AOM) continue to work together to expand options for low-risk pregnancy and reproductive care to better serve the needs of expectant families. The ministry is inviting applications for funding to launch or expand Indigenous Midwifery Programs (IMPs) and Expanded Midwifery Care Models (EMCMs). Both of these programs have a special focus on improving access, choice, and care that is responsive to the needs of the community.

Deadline for submissions is 5pm on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. To access application forms and guidance documents, please send an email to midwifery@ontario.ca and indicate in the subject line which application you are requesting.

See below for an overview of IMPs and EMCMs 

#Indigenous Midwifery Programs

Indigenous Midwifery Programs (IMP) provide culturally appropriate Indigenous-led midwifery services to urban, rural, northern and on-reserve Indigenous communities, through:

  • Culturally safe prenatal, intrapartum, post-partum care;
  • Programs and services to support youth and expectant families (e.g. parenting classes, breastfeeding support); and,
  • Community education to support youth and expectant families to make informed choices around reproductive health.

In addition to pregnancy and newborn care, IMPs provide a wide range of services for their communities including well-person care (e.g. reproductive health checks, pregnancy tests, menopausal counselling), community-based birthing practices with elders, traditional ceremonies and medicine, prenatal and parent/baby classes, rites of passage among many other activities.

The two (2) types of IMP models include:

  • An Indigenous Midwifery Program working within Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams - Midwives working in this model will work on a multidisciplinary team with physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and traditional healers. The governance structure for these programs are primarily provided through the existing primary health care team (Aboriginal Health Access Centre or Family Health Team).
  • Autonomous Indigenous Midwifery led programs - Midwives provide the governance structure within this model and will establish links with local primary health care services that currently exist within their area in order to support integrated and comprehensive primary care delivery.

#Expanded Midwifery Care Models (EMCM)

Expanded Midwifery Care Models (EMCM) enable community-based midwifery services to be delivered in a variety of settings where the existing midwifery practice group (MPG) model and funding (i.e. fee per completed course of midwifery care) are not appropriate. EMCMs are not intended to provide funding for midwives to duplicate care being provided to MPG clients (but could be complimentary). These settings could include, but are not limited to, interprofessional primary care teams and hospitals in areas of demonstrated need.

These models are intended to be client and quality focused and optimize the role and scope of midwives, while supporting interprofessional collaboration and coordination, as well as the integration of midwifery services into the broader health care system. Examples of EMCM initiatives include:

  • Hospitalist midwife – provide services embedded within the hospital setting including dedicated triage assessments, discharge planning and communication to primary care provider regarding out-patient follow-up and home care services.
  • Full spectrum midwife in primary care team-based setting to provide full course of care, including prenatal and postpartum home visits and to assist clients navigate the health care system.
  • Hospital-based integrated postpartum primary care and coordination midwife who works in collaboration with an  interprofessional primary care team to provide postpartum and newborn care to clients who do not have a primary care provider and/or for physician clients in hospital and facilitates transition between hospital and community care.
  • Primary care team-based prenatal and postpartum midwife who works in collaboration with an interprofessional primary care team to provide comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care and assist clients to navigate the health care system.

These two initiatives provide an opportunity for healthcare providers and communities to work together to design a program that provides or enhances pregnancy and newborn care. Interested parties can contact the ministry at midwifery@ontario.ca to request an application and supporting guidance documents.

For this application year, in alignment with the recent agreement between the MOH and AOM, priority for EMCM funding will be given to expansion of existing programs.

#Support for Your Application

You may request IMP or EMCM Application Guides by emailing midwifery@ontario.ca. 

The Indigenous midwifery team at the AOM invites IMP applicants to view this recorded webinar about the IMP application.  Should you have any questions, the ministry and AOM are available to provide support and guidance to midwives, communities, primary care teams, and healthcare agencies on either of these opportunities. 

  • For assistance from the AOM, please contact: 

Indigenous Midwifery Programs Leila Monib, Manager Indigenous Midwifery Email: leila.monib@aom.on.ca  Telephone: 416-425-9974 ext. 2224or 1-866-418-3773 ext. 2224

Expanded Midwifery Care Models Anna Ianovskaia, Manager, Policy and Communications (Acting) Email: anna.ianovskaia@aom.on.ca Telephone: 416-425-9974 ext. 2243 or 1-866-418-3773 ext. 2243

  • For assistance from the Ministry of Health, please contact midwifery@ontario.ca. The ministry has responsibility for oversight of Ontario’s Midwifery Program and determines which proposals will receive funding and manages the relationship with funding recipients to ensure oversight and accountability.