Ontario. Ministry of Community and Social Services. Development Services Branch

• Development Services Branch

The first Ontario facility for the developmentally handicapped was built in Orillia in 1876. As a large institution, the Orillia Asylum for Idiots exemplified the government's approach to the care of the developmentally handicapped in this period and such facilities continued to be built until the middle of the twentieth century. By the 1950s the emphasis in care was shifting away from these large institutions towards smaller, community-minded residences. From this time until well into the 1970s, the Ministry spearheaded the construction of such community centred facilities. Recognizing the move from an institutional to a community based model, responsibility for developmental services was transferred from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Community and Social Services in 1974.

The Office of the Assistant Deputy Minister of Developmental Resources was established in April 1975, which supervised two divisions: the Mental Retardation Facility Services Division and the Mental Retardation Community Programs Division. The office reported to the Deputy Minister of the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services throughout its existence. This office was discontinued in 1978 and its functions assumed by the Mental Retardation Facilities Division.

For the next several years this function moved around. In 1983 a Developmentally Handicapped office within Policy Development was established. By 1986 there was Services for Disabled Persons Branch. Treatment and training programs and services for developmentally handicapped persons, in 1989, was delivered through 11 government-operated and 11 local community board-operated facilities, administered by the Facilities for Developmentally Handicapped as part of Children's and Adults Operations Branch.

Developmental Services Branch was created in 1994 with the responsibility for identifying and developing policy in the are of developmental services, support to program delivery at the Area Office level and management of the directly operated facilities for people with developmental disabilities. The branch provided leadership in the area of developmental services, working with other ministries in the provincial government, other levels of government and service delivery agents.

Developmental Services Branch was created in 1994 with the responsibility for identifying and developing policy in the are of developmental services, support to program delivery at the Area Office level and management of the directly operated facilities for people with developmental disabilities. The branch provided leadership in the area of developmental services, working with other ministries in the provincial government, other levels of government and service delivery agents.

In 2005, the role of the Developmental Services Branch was listed as having to develop and evaluate policies and programs responding to the needs of adults with developmental disabilities and their families. The branch works closely with other divisions in the ministry, with other ministries and with community service delivery partners to support an integrated, responsive developmental service system and to ensure that programs and services delivered are consistent with the ministry's overall policy objectives.

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Government of Ontario Telephone Directories and KWIC Index to Services of the Ontario Government, 1980-2005

Archivist(s):
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