Infant Hearing Program (IHP) Governance

The Ontario IHP, funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), is a comprehensive program that identifies infants with permanent hearing loss (PHL) through universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS), risk factor screening, audiological assessment, and audiology intervention services (the provision of hearing aids). Children with specific risk factors receive surveillance audiology assessments and those with PHL receive services to facilitate the development of language skills (spoken or signed). The IHP provides services to children from birth to school entry. 

The goals of the IHP are to: 

Identify infants who are born with PHL or who are at risk of developing PHL in early childhood;

Provide infants with PHL and their families with the necessary intervention services to have the best chance of positive developmental outcomes; and

Give infants and children with PHL the opportunity at the best start in life by preparing them for social and academic success.

In 2024, Newborn Screening Ontario (NSO) and the National Centre for Audiology (NCA) assumed the role of partnered Oversight Agency for the IHP. The Oversight Agency’s role involves the management of program funding and service delivery contracts, oversight of program activities of the Lead Agencies and Designated Training Centres (DTCs), maintenance and building of community partnerships, and program evaluation.

IHP Clinical Advisory Committee (IHP-CAC)

The purpose of the IHP Clinical Advisory Committee (IHP-CAC) is to guide and provide strategic advice to the Infant Hearing Program (IHP) Oversight Agency within an evolving screening and pediatric hearing healthcare landscape.

The IHP Oversight Agency team is seeking interested members for the IHP-CAC who think broadly about and have a deep understanding of the IHP and the hearing health care system in Ontario. We invite you to express your interest in participating on the IHP-CAC.

Please see the Expression of Interest Letter for more information.

To express interest or nominate a colleague:

Please complete the Expression of Interest Form and send it with a copy of your CV to NSOHearing@cheo.on.ca by the end of the day on October 4, 2024.

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
415 Smyth Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M8

Toll-Free: 1-877-627-8330
Local: (613) 738-3222
Fax: (613) 738-0853