Overview

The French Language Services Office (FLSO) is part of the Strategic Policy, Planning & French Language Services Division, Indigenous, French Language and Priority Populations Branch at the Ministry of Health (MOH). The FLSO provides strategic advice, guidance and support to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Long-Term Care (MLTC) on:

  • the requirements of the French Language Services Act
  • French language services (FLS) related obligations and performance measures
  • issues or initiatives with implications for Francophone communities across the province

The FLSO also works in partnership with the Ministry of Francophone Affairs and is the secretariat for the French Language Health Services Advisory Council.

Our service principles

We are committed to providing accessible, accountable, reliable and responsive service. We will work closely with our clients, ensure that we understand their requirements and concerns, and support them to meet their obligations under the French Language Services Act. Our timely, high-quality responses are informed by the working relationships we maintain with stakeholders and Francophone community stakeholders.

We live up to these standards by:

  • providing analysis and strategic advice
  • delivering high quality products and services
  • ensuring that the information we provide is accessible and easy to obtain
  • meeting mandated or negotiated deadlines
  • actively engaging clients to find creative solutions and approaches to their FLS requirements
  • building and maintaining a visible presence and profile across MOH ensuring that FLS issues are considered early and addressed appropriately
  • committing to continuous quality improvement
  • welcoming and acknowledging comments on how our service can be improved

French Language Services Office Stakeholders

Our key internal stakeholders include:

  • the Minister's Office
  • the Deputy Minister's, Associate Deputy Ministers' and Assistant Deputy Ministers' Offices and staff
  • ministry staff (policy, program, communications and human resources staff)
  • the French Language Health Services Advisory Council
  • agencies, boards and commissions that fall under the authority of the Ministry of Health
  • the Ministry of Francophone Affairs

Our key external stakeholders include:

  • the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
  • Francophone stakeholder groups and associations
  • the French speaking public

The French Language Services Act

The Ministry of Francophone Affairs is responsible for ensuring Francophones in Ontario receive government services in French so they can participate in the social, economic and political life of the province while maintaining their linguistic and cultural heritage. The Ministry is also responsible for the implementation of the legislative framework supporting the timely delivery of quality French-language services in Ontario, the French Language Services Act (FLSA) and its regulations.

Government of Ontario ministries and agencies

The FLSO works in collaboration with the Ministry of Francophone Affairs to ensure that the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care comply to the FLSA in all programs and service delivery areas.

The FLSA applies equally to all Ministry of Health and Ministry of Long-Term Care classified/statutory agencies for which the majority of members of the board are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council such as Ontario Health and Home and Community Care Support Services.

Designated areas

The FLSA guarantees an individual's right to receive services in French from Government of Ontario ministries and other government agencies in 26* designated areas, and at government head offices. The FLSA provides legislative and political recognition of rights acquired over 400 years in Ontario. About 80% of Franco-Ontarians live in a designated area.

On April 1, 2023, a new regulation on active offer and the provision of French language services on behalf of government agencies came into effect to ensure the availability of French language are advertised at the first point of contact between the user and the service provider responsible for delivering services on behalf of the Ontario government.

The modernized FLSA also strengthens the accountability of ministries and their agencies, so that they fulfill their French language service responsibilities.

*The City of Sarnia will be the 27th designated area in Ontario as of November 2024.

The right to receive services in French

French-language services are not limited to correspondence, telephone or translation procedures. The needs of French speaking populations are taken into account in the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of programs, policies and procedures. Furthermore, services received in French must be equivalent to those offered in English, offered in a timely fashion and of the same quality.

French Language Services Commissioner

The Ombudsman of Ontario is an impartial and independent officer of the Ontario Legislature, who has the authority to review complaints about the administrative conduct of public sector bodies.

The Deputy Ombudsman, known as the French Language Services Commissioner, is appointed by the Ombudsman under the French Language Services Act. The Commissioner has the authority to review complaints about the extent and quality of French language services provided by government agencies.

Click here to learn more about the French Language Services Commissioner or to contact them directly.

Designation of Public Service Agencies (Regulation 398/93)

Organizations that are either fully or partially funded by the province and provide services to the public, such as hospitals, long-term care homes and community agencies, are not automatically subject to the FLSA. To be subject to the FLSA, this type of organization must be designated as a public service agency by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. Such a designation requires the organization to provide services and communicate with the public in French and request to be designated as a public service agency.

Learn how to become a designated provider of French language health services here.

The French Language Health Services Advisory Council

The mandate of the council is to provide advice to the Minister of Health and Minister of Long-Term Care about health and service delivery issues related to Francophone communities.

Council members represent views of the Francophone community.

At the request of the Minister of Health, the council prepares reports and analyzes research and information for the purpose of bringing to the attention of the minister critical issues emerging in the French speaking communities.

The minister appoints members for such period as the minister may determine, usually for a period up to 3 years with further appointments allowable, each not exceeding 3 years.

For a list of currently appointed chair and members, please see French Language Health Services Advisory Council members.

The Connecting Care Act, 2019

The Ontario government has taken further steps to build an integrated, connected health care system centred around the needs of patients. The preamble of the Connecting Care Act, 2019 includes a specific reference to the FLSA, acknowledging that the public health system should “recognize the diversity within all of Ontario’s communities and respect the requirements of the French Language Services Act in serving Ontario’s French speaking community.” The Connecting Care Act, 2019 also requires Ontario Health to engage with the French Language Health Planning Entities (FLHPEs).

On April 1, 2021, health system planning, funding and community engagement functions were transferred to Ontario Health. As a Crown Agency, Ontario Health is subject to the FLSA and must respect the requirements of the FLSA including the right of Francophones to communicate in French and receive available services in French.

In conjunction, patient care functions including home and community care, long-term care home placement and key supporting functions remain in place under a new name to reflect this focused service delivery mandate – Home and Community Care Support Services. There are no changes to how patients access home and community care or long-term care home placement services and there will be no changes to their regular contacts.

As government agencies, the Home and Community Care Support Services organizations remain bound by the FLSA. If you are accessing information or services from a Home and Community Care Support Services organization, you continue to have the right to communicate in French and to receive services in French.

French Language Health Planning Entities

On April 1, 2021, a new regulation under Section 44 of the Connecting Care Act, 2019 (O. Reg 211/21), came into effect to support coordinated and effective engagement of French speaking communities on French language health services issues. This regulation outlines how the Minister, in consultation with Ontario Health, is to select French language health planning entities (FLHPEs) to work with Ontario Health. The regulation also sets out the duties of Ontario Health for engaging and collaborating with the FLHPEs.

Ontario Health shall engage the French language health planning entities. The entities will advise Ontario Health on:

  • the methods of engaging the French speaking community in the area
  • the health needs and priorities of the French speaking community in the area, including the needs and priorities of diverse groups within that community
  • the health services available to the French speaking community in the area
  • the identification and designation of health service providers for the provision of French language health services in the area
  • the strategies to improve access to, accessibility of and integration of French language health services in the local health system
  • the planning for and integration of health services in the area

Geographic Areas Covered per French Language Health Planning Entity

Entité 1 de planification des services de santé en français Érié St. Clair/Sud-Ouest

  • Erie St. Clair
  • South West

Entité 2 de planification pour les services en français dans les régions de Waterloo, Wellington, Hamilton, Niagara

  • Waterloo Wellington
  • Hamilton Niagara
  • Haldimand Brant

Entité 3 pour les services en français dans les régions du Centre-Toronto, Centre-Ouest et Mississauga-Halton

  • Central West
  • Mississauga Halton
  • Toronto Central

Entité 4 de planification pour les services de santé en français du Centre Sud-Ouest

  • Central
  • Central East
  • North Simcoe Muskoka

Réseau des services de santé en français de l'Est de l'Ontario (Entité 5)

  • South East
  • Champlain

Réseau du mieux-être Francophone du Nord de l'Ontario (Entité 6)

  • North East
  • North West

The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991

The Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) states that a person has the right to use French in all dealings with a health regulatory College. These health regulatory colleges must take all reasonable measures and make all reasonable plans to ensure that persons may use French in all dealings with the College. Furthermore, health regulatory Colleges also identify and record the language preference of each member and each member of the public who has dealings with them.

Provision of French Language Services on Behalf of Government Agencies

Some services may be provided on behalf of a government agency (such as a ministry or Crown agency) by an outside third party. If a third party is carrying out a service on behalf of a government agency, this does not negate the governments or its agencies’ obligation to provide services in French, including Ontario Health. 

Under Regulation 284/11, every government agency is required to ensure that any service provided to the public on its behalf by a third party pursuant to an agreement between the government agency and the third party is provided in accordance with the FLSA. Specifically, the government agency ensures that the third party providing the service takes appropriate measures, including providing signs, notices, and other information on services, and initiating communication with the public, to make it known to members of the public that the service is available in French at the choice of any member of the public.

The deadline to comply with the requirements in Regulation 284/11 varies depending on when the agreement between the government agency and the third party respecting the provision of services comes into force.

Contact

For more information about French language services at the Ministry of Health and in the health care system:

  • email: fls@ontario.ca
  • phone: 437-223-8274
  • mail or in-person:
    French Language Services Office
    438 University Avenue, Floor 10
    Toronto, ON M5G 2K8