Children's Hospice Care Strategy

Summary#

Bill 132 would require Ontario’s Minister of Health to create and carry out a province-wide strategy for paediatric hospice palliative care. The goal is equal access to high‑quality care for children and families across Ontario. It also creates an advisory committee of health professionals and family members to guide and report on the strategy.

Key changes:

• The Minister must develop and publish a paediatric hospice palliative care strategy within one year.
• The strategy must include targeted supports for families, including mental health supports.
• The Minister must review how well the strategy is working and publish any updates.
• A Paediatric Hospice Palliative Care Advisory Committee (5–9 members) is created, with a majority of regulated health professionals and the rest family members.
• The committee must review a 2011 paediatric palliative care report, recommend which parts to adopt, and submit an annual recommendations report by May 4. The Minister must publish and table these reports.
• The Minister may set additional rules for the committee and define extra geographic areas for representation.

What it means for you#

• Families of children receiving hospice palliative care

  • You could see more consistent access to services across Ontario over time.
  • The strategy must include targeted supports for families, including mental health supports. This could mean new or expanded counselling, respite, or navigation services, but the bill does not list specific programs.
  • Annual public reports may make it easier to see what changes are planned or underway in your area.

• Children needing hospice palliative care

  • Care quality and access could become more consistent across regions. The bill aims to reduce gaps, but it does not set service levels or timelines for new services.

• Health professionals and paediatric hospice providers

  • Some clinicians may serve on the advisory committee.
  • The strategy could lead to new guidance, coordination, or expectations for paediatric hospice palliative care. Details will depend on the strategy the Minister publishes.

• General public and taxpayers

  • The bill mainly affects health system planning and accountability. It does not change individual rights or create new fees.

• Government (Ministry of Health)

  • Must create, publish, and update the strategy; support targeted family supports; and run the advisory committee process with annual public reporting.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Possible cost points to consider (not estimated in the bill):

• Ministry costs to develop, implement, monitor, and update the strategy, and to publish reports.
• Costs to support and administer the advisory committee.
• If the strategy adds or expands family supports (including mental health), new program funding would likely be needed.
• No new fees, fines, or municipal costs are identified in the bill.

Proponents' View#

• The bill appears intended to make access to high‑quality paediatric hospice palliative care more equal across Ontario, regardless of where families live.
• A required, public strategy and annual reporting could improve coordination, transparency, and accountability.
• Including targeted family supports, including mental health, could better address the needs and stress families face.
• Involving both expert clinicians and family members may ground decisions in real‑world care and lived experience.
• Reviewing and selectively adopting recommendations from an earlier expert report could speed planning by building on existing work.

Opponents' View#

• The bill does not set specific service standards, funding levels, or clear timelines for rolling out new or expanded services, so practical impact is uncertain.
• “Implement a strategy” is broad. Without dedicated funding or measurable targets, changes could be limited.
• The advisory committee is small and must include members from certain cities. This may limit broader regional, rural, or remote representation.
• Relying on a 2011 report may miss newer evidence, models of care, or current needs.
• Annual reporting adds administrative work but does not by itself ensure service improvements.
• The Minister has broad discretion to amend the strategy and set committee rules, and the bill gives limited detail on oversight or evaluation methods.