The Ford Government released its 2024 Budget on March 26, 2024.
In our latest Insights article, PooranLaw summarizes key highlights that impact people with disabilities, their families, and community-based organizations. You can access the full budget here.
Key highlights from the 2024 Provincial budget include:
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- Children, Community and Social Services: $310 million over three years to community organizations that support vulnerable populations, which includes people with developmental disabilities, among other groups.
- Ontario Autism Program: $120 million funding increase, which is double the amount provided in the 2023-24 fiscal year. This investment is to increase enrollment, improve access to supports such as applied behaviour analysis therapy, speech-language and occupational therapy, and mental health services for children and youth with autism.
- Special Education: $18 million investment to support the most vulnerable students, which includes an $8 million investment to help students with special needs navigate the education system and transitioning out of it and another $10 million is earmarked specifically for higher-needs students.
- Mental Health Services: an additional $396 million over three years to support access and expanding mental health and addiction services. This is in addition to the original $3.8 billion over 10 years announced previously.
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It also appears that Ontario is gearing up for higher costs related to compensation, Bill 124 remedy settlements and other related fees associated with the provision of services and supports. Specifically:
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- Children, Community and Social Services sector: expenses are expected to be $44 million higher.
- Health sector: predicting expenses to be $1,581 million higher.
- Education sector: expenses are projected to be $1,881 million higher.
- Justice sector: expenses are projected to be $638 million higher.
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PooranLaw will continue to monitor the legal implications related to the 2024 Provincial budget. In the meantime, if you require legal assistance, we encourage you to reach out to any member of our team.
