Morneau Shepell builds on its Employee Support Solutions business in the Children's Support Solutions space with a small acquisition in the Greater Toronto Area

Blue Balloon Health Services has been purchased by Morneau Shepell, boosting its capacity in the region to support children and adolescents with learning and development challenges

TORONTO, July 7, 2014 /CNW/ - Morneau Shepell announced today that it has purchased Blue Balloon Health Services, a privately-held group of professionals providing pediatric health-centred care in the Greater Toronto Area.

"The addition of Blue Balloon to our Employee Support Solutions (ESS) business will significantly expand our Children's Support Solutions portfolio that provides professional services in the screening, assessment, intervention and support for children and adolescents who experience difficulty with learning and development," said Stephen Liptrap, Executive Vice-President, Morneau Shepell and General Manager of Shepell. "The purchase is in step with our strategy for Employee Support Solutions to expand the business through acquisitions that match its existing service offerings and expand its market presence."

Liptrap added, "Children's Support Solutions is a natural extension of our Employee and Family Assistance Program business and the acquisition of Blue Balloon further strengthens our position us a leading firm in the country to deliver this important work to help children, teens and families and meet the needs of our communities."

"The purchase by Morneau Shepell, the leading company in Canada for Employee and Family Assistance Programs, is a great step forward for the clients and employees of Blue Balloon," said Karen Blott, President, Blue Balloon Health Services. "We can only gain from their expertise in professional services for children and their families, as well as from the company's other practice areas and network of professionals. I'm confident that by joining such an organization, all of our clients - the children, adolescents, parents, schools and day care centres - will benefit."

This is a small acquisition, representing less than one per cent of Morneau Shepell's revenue and is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial performance in 2014.

As part of Morneau Shepell's ESS services, Children's Support Solutions (CSS) is a leader in identifying, assessing and supporting children and teens experiencing challenges with learning, development and behaviour.  Working in collaboration with families, children, schools and caregivers, CSS provides a number of treatment solutions not available elsewhere in one provider including psycho-education, psychology, neuropsychology, speech language pathology, special education and guidance counseling.

Blue Balloon Health Services has a small office in Hamilton and two clinics in Toronto and Aurora. It has therapists in disciplines that include psychology, speech-language pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, behaviour therapy, music therapy and education.

About Morneau Shepell Inc.

Morneau Shepell is the largest company in Canada offering human resources consulting and outsourcing services. The Company is the leading provider of employee and family assistance programs, as well as the largest administrator of retirement and benefits plans and the largest provider of integrated absence management solutions in Canada. Through health and productivity, administrative, and retirement solutions, Morneau Shepell helps clients reduce costs, increase employee productivity and improve their competitive position. Established in 1966, Morneau Shepell serves more than 20,000 clients, ranging from small businesses to some of the largest corporations and associations in North America. With approximately 3,500 employees in offices across North America, Morneau Shepell provides services to organizations across Canada, in the United States, and around the globe. Morneau Shepell is a publicly-traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: MSI). For more information, visit morneaushepell.com.

SOURCE: Morneau Shepell Inc.