March 2026 Board of Health Meeting - 2026/2027 Budget for Programs funded by MCCSS Resolution
ISSUE/PURPOSE
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) administers the Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) Program which is funded entirely by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS). The operating budget for the fiscal year April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, requires approval by the Board of Health prior to submission to the MCCSS.
BACKGROUND
The budget for this Program had been frozen until 2025/26 when the MCCSS announced a $197K or 6.8% base increase which brought the annual budget to $3,091,990. The MCCSS has indicated that this budget will be frozen until March 31,2030.
Effective March 12,2026, the WECHU is transitioning away from providing Nurse Practitioner (NP) Clinical Services following a review of available primary care services that identified local primary care providers who had the capacity to assume care of all the WECHU’s existing clients. The care that will be provided is comprehensive, beyond the mandate of the WECHU NP clinical services. This change will ultimately strengthen and better align our services in the HBHC program and enhance the quality of our home visiting services through the community, while ensuring all current and future clients are directly linked to outside primary care services while meeting budget requirements of the program.
For fiscal 2026/27, the HBHC Program supports twenty three and three quarter (23.75) FTEs comprised of one (1.0) Manager FTE, one-quarter (0.25) Director FTE, fifteen (15.0) Public Health Nursing FTEs, one (1) Public Health Nurse Lactation Consultant FTE, half (0.50) Coordinator , two (2.0) Family Home Visitor FTEs, one (1.0) Social Worker FTE, one (1) Healthy Promotion Specialist and two (2.0) support staff FTEs.
| Description | Budget April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 |
Projection April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 |
Change 2025/26 to 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries & Benefits | 2,814,146 | 2,781,890 | 32,256 |
| Mileage | 53,000 | 51,152 | 1,848 |
| Travel & Communications | 1,000 | 1,000 | - |
| Professional Development | 8,000 | 5,102 | 2,898 |
| Program Supplies | 4,000 | 5,017 | -1,017 |
| Communications/IT | 9,200 | 7,746 | 1,455 |
| Purchased Services | 25,319 | 34,928 | -9,609 |
| Audit | 9,142 | 9,142 | - |
| Building Occupancy | 168,183 | 163,284 | 4,899 |
| Total Budget | 3,091,990 | 3,059,260 | 32,730 |
Changes in the operating budget include the following:
- Increase in Salaries and Benefits of $32,256 – The net increase is primarily due to staffing changes. One full time position NP was eliminated; however, a .50 FTE (Coordinator) was hired to support operational needs. Although there was a reduction from the vacant full-time role, the savings or partially offset by salary grid or step increases, maternity leave top up and associated benefit costs.
- Increase in Mileage of $1,848 - the fiscal 2026/27 budget is enhanced to reflect the increased mileage rates.
- Increase of $2,898 in Professional Development – The variance is primarily due to training enhancement to be completed during the year.
- Decrease of $1,017 in Program Supplies – the decrease is due to the discontinuation of the Nurse Practitioner Clinical Services.
- Decrease of $9,609 in Purchased Services –– This decrease is mainly due to the discontinuation of Nurse Practitioner Clinical Services which will result in reduced costs related to translation services, and Telus Health Collaborative Health Record related costs.
- Increase of $4,899 in Building Occupancy – The fiscal 2026/27 budget is enhanced to reflect a 3% increase in actual expenditure anticipated for 26/27.
- Increase of $1,455 in Communication/IT- to reflect the cost of program licenses and software.
| Indicators | MCCSS Forecasting for April 1st, 2026, thru March 31st, 2027 | MCCSS Forecasting for April 1st, 2025, thru March 31st, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| # of families served (total – with Two or More Home Visits): HBHC | 500 | 558 |
| #of Families Confirmed with Risk (Total): HBHC | 325 | 603 |
| #of Individuals Screened (total-Early Childhood): HBHC | 180 | 162 |
| #of Individuals Screened (Total-Postpartum): HBHC | 3600 | 4,029 |
| #of Individuals Screened (Total-Prenatal): HBHC | 100 | 141 |
| # of Individuals who Received an In-depth Assessment: HBHC (nurse going into homes to confirm risk) | 450 | 955 |
The direction from the MCCSS was to keep the 2026/27 targets at the same levels as the prior year (2025/26). Using predictive modeling to estimate the total visits that will be completed by the end of March 2026, several indicators of the 2025-26 year are anticipated to exceed the original targets as set by MCCSS.
PROPOSED MOTION
Whereas, The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit receives grants from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to fund the Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program.
And Whereas, the total budgeted expenditures for the Program for the period April 1,2026 to March 31, 2027 are $3,091,990.00
And Whereas, at its meeting of February 26,2026, the Finance and Audit Committee passed a motion recommending to the Board of Health the approval of the MCCSS operating budget for the period April 1,2026 to March 31,2027
Now therefore be it resolved that the Board of Health approve the MCCSS operating budget for the period April 1,2026 to March 31, 2027