2024-2025 Services Delivered: Infant Hearing Program Oversight Agency
Component: Infant Hearing Program
Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017
Service description
The Infant Hearing Program (IHP) identifies babies born with permanent hearing loss (PHL) or who are at risk for developing PHL in early childhood and provides them with the services and supports needed to support language development and communication skills.
The IHP Oversight Agency oversees program delivery and contract management for the provision of:
- hearing screening for all newborns in hospital or community settings
- assessments to identify permanent hearing loss, and
- monitoring of children at risk of developing hearing loss
People served
The Infant Hearing Program serves families with children from birth to school entry.
Program / Service features
The IHP offers screening, diagnostics, amplification, and other intervention services which includes connecting families with community resources and local support systems.
Specific service provided
The IHP Oversight Agency will oversee delivery of the IHP across the province while maintaining the required province-wide standardization and consistency.
Program goals
The goals of the IHP are to:
- identify infants who are born with PHL or who are born at risk of developing PHL in early childhood
- provide infants confirmed with PHL and their families with the necessary intervention services in a timely manner to meet international benchmarks and support the development of language, and
- give infants and children with PHL the opportunity at the best start in life by preparing them for social and academic success to the best of their abilities
Ministry expectations
The IHP Oversight Agency oversees services that are delivered according to the protocols, guidance documents and guidelines provided by the ministry or any subsequent updated versions (or any other supporting policy documents provided by the ministry).
Program targets
- at least 90% of all newborns born in a given region will receive a successful hearing screen, where "successful" means a Stage 1 Pass (in both ears) or a Stage 2 Pass (in both ears) or a Stage 2 Refer in at least one ear completed at or before three months corrected age
- of the total number of babies screened successfully as above 90% will have their successful screen completed by one month corrected age
- the overall refer rate to audiologic assessment will not exceed 2% of all babies screened
- 75% of all babies with a "refer" result from Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) who have an audiology assessment will access it by four months corrected age
- 40% of babies with confirmed Permanent Hearing Loss (PHL) whose families chose amplification will access amplification services no later than 9 months corrected age
- 40% of babies with confirmed PHL will access language development services no later than 9 months corrected age
Reporting requirements
| Service Data Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ministry-funded agency expenditures | Total ministry-funded expenses for the Transfer Payment Recipient to administer and/or deliver this service in the Funding Year (cumulative). |
Service and financial data will be reported in Transfer Payment Ontario at an Interim and Final period, informed by IRSS Monitoring Reports. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates.
A supplementary report providing additional information may be required (reporting template and dates to be provided separately).