St. Catharines MPP says province needs to address lack of mental health resources for children
St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens is calling on the province to increase mental health services for children.
Last week, advocacy group People for Education released its annual survey of over 1,000 schools.
About 91 percent of the principals said more support was needed for the mental health and wellbeing of students.
Stevens says in Niagara, there is a waitlist of about 900 children seeking mental health services.
"Mental Health service providers are the frontline experts that can ensure Niagara and Ontario move on from a mental health crisis - but the government holds the purse strings. It’s time to make certain children and families across Ontario are no longer stuck on waitlists due to a lack of resources," said Stevens.
This afternoon, the NDP introduced a motion to add an 8% stabilization in community healthcare.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Stephen Lecce has said the province has increased mental health funding for children every year since 2018.
He also notes every year, the province has hired nine percent more mental health professionals and 7,000 more education workers.
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