At this time, not all CMHO member agencies are impacted. Families are encouraged to connect directly with their local service provider for the most up-to-date information about available services and supports in their community. 

CMHO remains hopeful that all parties are able to reach an agreement as quickly as possible so that disruptions for children, youth, and families can be minimized. 

Over the past several years, the Government of Ontario’s investments in community-based CYMH have played a critical role in beginning to stabilize a system that was under significant strain. However, workforce challenges continue to place considerable pressure on service delivery, including ongoing recruitment and retention difficulties driven by broader health human resources (HHR) challenges and compensation disparities across sectors. 

CMHO continues to advocate for sustained investments in community child and youth mental health services, including action to stabilize and strengthen the workforce through a comprehensive child and youth mental health HHR strategy and progress toward wage parity. Addressing these issues is critical to improving workforce stability, reducing service disruptions and wait times, and ensuring children, youth, and families can access timely, high-quality mental health care in their communities. 

CMHO and its member agencies remain committed to working collaboratively with partners and the Lead Agency Consortium. Additional information on workforce challenges and sector priorities can be found in CMHO’s workforce report and 2026 Pre-Budget Submission below.  

RELATED RESOURCES

• CMHO Workforce Report: Addressing Urgent Workforce Challenges in Child and Youth Mental HealthIn our recent workforce report, CMHO documented widespread staffing shortages and vacancies across the sector, particularly in front-line clinical roles, with member agencies identifying wages and compensation disparities as the leading barriers to recruitment and retention.
   
• CMHO 2026 Ontario Pre-Budget Submission: From Stabilization to Sustainability: Building a Stronger Child and Youth Mental Health System 

  CMHO’s 2026 Ontario pre-budget submission further outlines how ongoing  workforce instability is affecting service continuity, increasing wait times, and  placing additional pressure on children, youth, families, and the broader health  system. The submission calls for a targeted, multi-year investment to move  toward wage parity and stabilize the child and youth mental health workforce  across Ontario.