The young boys and girls who frequently access the Quinte Children's Treatment Centre at Belleville General Hospital will benefit from major provincial financial support.

The funding of $240 million over four years was announced by Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Merilee Fullerton and Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith at QCTC on Tuesday.
 
The investment includes $60 million of new funding that will be provided annually, starting this year, for provincial Children's Treatment Centres, including the one at Belleville General Hospital and Preschool Speech and Language Programs.

The money will be used to build additional service capacity and help deliver various special needs programming, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and preschool speech services to children who have special physical needs or mobility challenges.

"This funding will help reduce wait times for rehabilitation services in the community and in school-based settings," said Fullerton.
 
"In fact, each year, we will be able to serve an additional 10,000 preschool-aged children with speech and language needs, and up to 47,000 more children and youth with rehabilitation."
 
When children in Ontario begin school, almost 30 per cent have at least one developmental vulnerability that could pose a risk to their lifelong health, learning, and behaviour and Fullerton said will provide essential early intervention for better long-term outcomes for children.
 
The most important pieces of this increased investment, Fullerton noted, is treatment centres will have advanced resources to help kids with their needs and give them the opportunity to thrive in their lives.
 
Smith outlined the importance of children getting the help they need in a more efficient fashion. 
 
“This funding recognizes the incredible work done by clinicians and staff at the Quinte Children’s Treatment Centre, and at Children’s Treatment Centre’s across the province, that are helping our young people reach their full potential," Smith stated.
 
Approximately 230,000 children and youth each year benefit from physical and speech therapy program funding, the province noted.
 
One local child, in particular, stood out at Tuesday's announcement as an example of how critical financial support for professionals that support children and their physical health is.
 
Quinte Health Care President and CEO Stacey Daub told those in attendance Tirzah Hills' story, explaining she had to deal with weakness and decreased mobility on her left side and vision loss after having major surgery to control seizure activity.
 
Therefore, the Belleville girl had to be brought to the QCTC to receive physical support, as well as speech therapy.
 
"The Orthopedic Clinic team at Quinte CTC helped her with the bracing required to support her ankles when standing and walking, with a goal to strengthen the left arm and leg to help her with her overall development and capabilities," Daub explained.
 
That support has paid off in spades.
 
"Tirzah began sitting by herself five months after coming to the CTC and since then, she has become a proficient 'bum scooter' I hear. She is now walking home with a specialized walker and is working on independent walking during active physiotherapy sessions."
 
"Tirzah is a beautiful, happy smiling little girl who is making huge gains to her own hard work for her family's diligent work and the love and support and expert guidance and treatment from the children's treatment center."
 
Jennifer Churchill, CEO of Empowered Kids Ontario, which represents the province's publicly-funded child development and rehabilitation sector, said it has taken 10 years for the sector to be invested in and said service delivery will be changed with this new funding.
 
"Right now, we have about 80,000 children that are waiting for child development and rehab services in this province," explained Churchill.
 
"Across the province, we are going to be able to offer more service to families who've been waiting."

The funding is part of the 2021 provincial budget.
 
Also on hand for the announcement were Mayors of Belleville and Quinte West Mitch Panciuk and Jim Harrison, Hastings County Warden Rick Phillips, Prince Edward County Councillor Mike Harper, and members of QHC staff.