Hi all,

Sorry to come back to this, but the job listing from the OPHE bulletin
caught my eye.  On August 1st, in Ontario,  families who receive welfare
benefits, will see a reduction in their benefits, paid from the province
and municipalities of $50. per child, there is  close to 352,000 children
who'd parents have turned to welfare.  Part of this money is earmarked for
programs that "help low-income families.  2.5 million was 'reinvested' in
the Canadian Living Foundation to expand child feeding programs and I
understand that money will be "reinvested" in Healthy Babies stuff, so I
assume the jobs below are from the money that families on welfare lose on
Aug 1st.  One other impact of the reduction in benefits has is that it
throws people who are basically just below the current benefit threshold
off of welfare, when this happens families lose their drug benefits and
dental assistance for their children.  In the City of Toronto 400 families
will lose this.  In another province in Canada, Newfoundland, a broad
coalition of groups including health people undertook a lobby campaign and
convinced their government not to reduce benefits paid to families on
social assistance, this did not happen in Ontario.

Now I am trying to understand why this strategy would be affective, so I am
going to try to work it out, I am not a health promoter so people please
jump in if I am wrong in my understanding of things.

So lets say these Dieticians see 1,000 women who are pregnant a year. (I
assume that part of their caseload comes to them with infants and not while
they are pregnant)  I understand that the link between nutrition and
outcomes is not that strong but lets say that it is a factor in 10% of
cases of low birthwieght, and lets assume a high rate in this target
population of 10%.  So, a 100 cases of low birth weight and a factor in 10%
of these cases, so in 10 cases.  Lets assume they manage to change the
environment and 'risk' behavior in half of these case.  So  an positive
impact on 5 cases of babies born too small, and lets say that of these 5
cases half of them their birthweight would have resulted in problems to
them, so in the end lets say 3 of them.

So,  850 children are losing $50. a month (in money for food)  for this
program.   Or maybe a better way to think of it is that a large school of
children are paying the salaries of these people.

I am sorry if this is wrong thinking, please someone correct me or explain
things to me.  Someone challenged me on solutions, well we could all demand
that people have adequate incomes, we could work with the private sector
and get prenatal vitamins samples put in pregnancy test kits with
information about folic, this would cost almost nothing.  We could work
with the NGO's who are struggling to pull information together for the
Committee on Social, Economic and Cultural rights this November, we could
strategies about how we are going to react to the concluding statements
about Canada that will be released on December 5th.

Thoughts, feedback?

S

<from OPHE Bulletin>

Nine Public Health Dietician Positions [permanent],
Healthiest Babies Possible Program
Toronto, Deadline July 29, 1998

SALARY:  $866.95 - $970.90 per 35 hour work week
DEPARTMENT:  Community and Neighbourhood Services, Public
Health Division

DUTIES:  This employee, reporting to the Community Health
Promotion Services Supervisor, will carry out individual
nutrition behaviour counselling for the Healthiest Babies
Possible Program.  S/he will conduct home visits and
interviews; counsel and teach prenatal and infant nutrition
to pregnant women and their families; and assess the
nutritional status to the individual and plan an acceptable
program to meet her needs.  The incumbent will maintain
client records and evaluate the individual cases on an
on-going basis; will promote the services of the Healthiest
Babies Possible Program to other professionals and community
agencies; and respond to inquires from staff an the public
on prenatal and infant nutrition. S/he will participate in
program planning and evaluation including the preparation of
educational materials; and participate in departmental and
community committees.  This employee will liaise with public
health nurses; function as a member of a multi-disciplinary
team; orientate new staff members; and provide field
experience for students.



Sherrie Tingley
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