As part of our ongoing advocacy efforts, we continue to send letters each month to all our local MPP’s, our local Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services Program Supervisor and even the Deputy Minister Daniele Zanotti. Our outreach has expanded in both frequency and breadth, strengthening our voice across government and sector partners.

Over the past several months, we have also had the opportunity to meet directly with local MPPs, including representatives from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. These conversations have allowed us to share both our achievements and the challenges facing our sector.

This past quarter, we celebrated our Not‑for‑Profit Impact Award at the Mississauga Board of Trade’s 2026 Business Awards of Excellence Gala. This award recognizes a registered Mississauga-based not‑for‑profit or charitable organization that demonstrates exceptional commitment to serving the community through innovation, leadership, and measurable impact. Recipients are recognized for delivering programs and services that meaningfully improve community well‑being while demonstrating operational excellence and sustainable growth.

This recognition reflects Community Living Mississauga’s strong and forward‑thinking leadership. Our organization is financially responsible, innovative in our service delivery, sustainable in our operations, and most importantly deeply committed to the people and families we support.

While we celebrate this achievement, we have also continued to raise serious concerns regarding the current Integrated Employment Services (IES) delivery model. As it is currently designed and implemented, this model is creating systemic barriers for people who have an intellectual disability and for the specialized service providers that support them, limiting access to meaningful and sustained employment.

Community Living Mississauga was among the earliest organizations to participate in this model and has consistently raised concerns since its inception. Key issues with the current funding and outcomes framework include:

  • Funding that does not reflect the complexity of disability employment supports or align with person‑directed service models
  • The exclusion of people who work fewer than 20 hours per week, effectively devaluing meaningful and appropriate part‑time employment
  • Limited recognition of the distinct needs of people who have an intellectual disability and the essential role of specialized providers in developing and supporting customized employment pathways

These concerns are not unique to our organization. They are widely shared across the sector and have been well documented by Community Living Ontario and the Ontario Disability Employment Network. Providers report growing administrative requirements that reduce time available for direct support, increasing caseloads alongside declining capacity for job retention, and significant financial strain.

Financial impacts are profound: organizations delivering employment supports reporting negative impacts rose from 53% in 2024 to 82% in 2025, with some organizations experiencing revenue losses of up to 40% and per‑job‑seeker funding reductions of up to 67% over three years. In some cases, providers have been forced to reduce services or close programs entirely.

As a result of these systemic challenges, Community Living Mississauga recently made the difficult decision to end our contract with our Service System Manager. We are aware of other specialized disability service providers, both locally in Peel and across the province, who have taken similar steps. While we continue to pursue local innovation, through redesigning day supports, implementing fee‑for‑service approaches, and advancing our Journey to Belonging initiatives, local efforts cannot overcome the structural barriers embedded in the current Integrated Employment Services delivery model.

As part of our ongoing advocacy efforts with our elected officials, we will continue with these monthly updates throughout 2026.