Ontario has announced $799,000 in funding for the Quinte Children’s Treatment Centre in an announcement on Monday.
The funding is part of an over $2.5 million boost to pediatric services for children and youth in Belleville, Kingston and the Thousand Islands.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be able to have this investment in the local children’s rehabilitation services,” President and CEO of Quinte Health, Stacey Daub, tells media.
“It allows us to, from Picton to North Hastings and Belleville to Quinte West, start to really get some of our kids faster service in our community.”
In a press release, the government says the funding will help increase access to children’s rehabilitation services and psychosocial supports for children and youth with cancer.
“There are a lot of kids who have delayed access to rehabilitation services and so this funding will help us fast track access and get kids off the waiting list,” Daub said.
“We’re not just going to take this money and invest it in older models that we used to develop. We’ve, in partnership with children and the leadership here, thought about new and different models. So we have group treatment models, we have models out in the schools and new and different models of care that help us see more children more effectively, faster.”
Bay of Quinte MP Todd Smith outlined how the new funding will help address gaps in the healthcare system.
“We’ve seen a lot of money invested in dealing with the Health Human Resources issue, partnering in the community with Loyalist College’s expanding programming, they’re expediting PSW programs that are all going to make health care in our region more accessible,” Smith tells media.
“Unfortunately, that takes some time but we are seeing incredible advancements being made in the number of health care professionals that are being trained in the province.”
Daub says she is happy to see a continued investment in children’s centres not only at Belleville General Hospital but across the province.
“Quinte Children’s Treatment Centre got a large investment in 2021. That was one of the first investments when I arrived here and that was a historical investment in the centre,” Daub says.
“This is an investment right across the province and I think it’s in recognition of the fact that our population is growing in Ontario. We have a lot of post pandemic pressures that we really need to spend the time supporting kids to thrive, grow and develop in their communities with support.”
On an annual basis, the Children’s Treatment Centre deals with over 3,500 children.
Members of the Ontario government and Quinte Health as part of the announcement for new funding for pediatric centres in Belleville, Kingston and the Thousand Island. January 29, 2024. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
