Mother’s Allowance/Government Assistance
Ontario
Ministry of Community and Social Services
7th Floor, Hepburn Block 80 Grosvenor St. Toronto, ON M7A 1E9
Tel.: (416) 325-5666
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/social/ow/help/financial_assistance.htm
http://www.incomesecurity.org/documents/ISACOCBQandAOct07_000.pdf
http://www.accesson.ca/mcss/english/pillars/social/owLEAP PROGRAM
LEAP is a community program delivered by Ontario Works. The program is mandatory for 16 and 17 year old parents who are in receipt of social assistance. Parents between the ages of 18 and 21 may participate voluntarily.
We understand the difficulties of being a parent and going to school. LEAP is a program that will help support participants to graduate with grade 12, while learning additional parenting and employment skills.
To be eligible for assistance within the LEAP program a recipient must be attending school as well as various parenting programs. The LEAP program is here to help participating parents stay on track and stay in school.
Participants in LEAP can receive additional funding for such things as:
- child care
- transportation
- school supplies
- tutoring
- school clothing
- field trips
- recreational activities
- graduation fees
- activities for you and your child
The LEAP program offers a cash incentive, upon graduation, towards future educational pursuits.
Ontario Works Child Care
A component of Ontario Works is the provision of Child Care funds for participants. Monies can be issued to cover licensed or unlicensed care necessary to support participation and/or employment.
CHILDREN’S SERVICES
Supports To Employment Program – STEP
The intent of STEP is to encourage and assist participants towards financial independence. This is made possible by providing financial incentives for participants to earn income through employment and training in the form of exemptions and recognition of child care costs.
Eligibility Review Program
This program is established to investigate the eligibility of present and past applicants and recipients. Upon completion of the investigations, decisions are made regarding ongoing eligibility, overpayments or arrears and where warranted, there may be a referral to the police for legal action.
To report a potential fraud allegation, please call the Welfare Fraud Control Hotline: 1-800-394-7867
Eligibility Review Officer Provincial Directory
Family Support Program
The purpose of the Family Support Program is to assist parents in receipt of Ontario Works Assistance to pursue adequate support in accordance with child support guidelines, either in court or through obtaining out-of-court settlements.
Interactive Voice Response – IVR
The IVR is a toll free telephone system that provides general information to participants about Ontario Works and selected information about personal case files including:
- Most recent cheque amount and date
- Previous cheque payments (within the last 45 days)
- Overpayments
- Case file status
Participants can obtain cheque information for the next benefit month, by calling the IVR after the 26th of the current month.
To contact the IVR, phone: 1-800-808-2268
Family Resource Information
JESSIE’S CENTRE FOR TEENAGERS
205 Parliament Street Tel.: (416) 365-1888
Toronto, Ontario Fax: (416) 365-1944
M5A 2Z4
Jessie’s Centre for Teenagers is a vast community organization that meets the needs of mothers under 19 years old. A wide variety of programs and activities are provided by the employees and volunteers at Jessie’s: prenatal and parenting classes, women’s support groups, recreational activities, a medical clinic, a 24-hour relief service, an in-house school program, a nursery, assistance in finding housing, a community kitchen, and advocacy for young families. In addition to its comprehensive response to the needs of young mothers, Jessie’s Centre is characterized by its structure as a collective.
MASSEY CENTRE (A)
1102 Broadview Ave. Tel.: (416) 425-6348
Toronto, Ontario Fax: (416) 425-4056
M4K 2S5
The Massey Centre is a resource centre and a housing complex for pregnant teenagers and young single mothers. The Centre provides residential programs (before and after birth, up to two years) and day programs, such as a drop-in day care, an employment training program and an opportunity to complete high school, a resource centre for parents and their children, workshops on health and personal development, counselling, and recreation.
The Centre favours an holistic model and long-term support. It links its housing program (which it considers essential to young women) with its community outreach programs to ease the reintegration of young women into the community.
Please contact the Webmaster if you have any questions about this site.
THE PATRICIA CENTRE FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH
68 Princess Street Tel.: (807) 737-2086
Sioux Lookout, Ontario Fax: (807) 737-1998
P8T 1H4
The Patricia Centre for Children & Youth is a non-profit organization. It seeks to alleviate isolation and to encourage family support in Sioux Lookout. It offers activities and programs to families of children under 18. Its activities include an infant development program, support for children’s emotional, behavioral and interpersonal problems, a toy library, as well as a mobile toy library.
ROSE OF SHARON (A)
Services for Young Mothers
102 Main Street South Tel.: (905) 853-5514
Unit 1
Newmarket, Ontario
L3Y 3Y7
Rose of Sharon is a non-profit agency that provides support and educational services to young pregnant women and young mothers. It offers workshops and courses, support groups, prenatal and childbirth education. It also has clothing, toy and equipment exchange programs, a food bank, lunch and transitional programs.
Better Beginnings, Better Futures is a pilot project highlighting research on long-term prevention policies. It focuses on children aged 0-4 and 4-8. There are 11 Better Beginnings, Better Futures projects in economically disadvantaged communities across Ontario.
The goals of the project are to:
% Reduce the incidence of serious, long-term emotional and behavioral problems in children;
% Promote the optimal social, emotional, behavioral and cognitive development in those children at highest risk for problems;
% Strengthen the ability of communities to respond effectively to the social and economic needs of children and their families.
The guiding principles of the projects include: family and community involvement in program development, implementation and evaluation; accessible, non-stigmatization programs (available toall children in a geographical area); availability of short, mid and long-term effects; capability of integration into various service sectors; relatively low cost; sensitive to social and cultural diversity of families and communities; promotion and facilitation of coordination, cooperation, and collaboration of service providers across health, education, child care, mental health, social housing and recreation sectors to ensure holistic and consistent support for children and families.
The approach to project development is holistic, supporting the child and family consistently from the prenatal years through the preschool years. The project is designed to ensure that the children have Better Beginnings in all their social environments, starting with their family and including their immediate neighbourhood and local community.
Les différents projets Partir d’un bon pas pour un avenir meilleur:
The various Better Beginnings, Better Futures projects are:
* Cornwall (F):
231 McConnell Tel.: (613) 938-2000
Cornwall, Ontario Fax: (613) 938-8465
K6H 4L4
* Etobicoke (A)
85 Mount Olive Dr. Tel.: (416) 394-6150
Etobicoke, Ontario Fax: (416) 394-6151
M9V 2C9
* Guelph – Onward Willow (A)
Unit K-45, 15 Willow Road Tel.: (519) 824-6892
Guelph, Ontario Fax: (519) 824-1785
N1H 1V7
* Kenora (M)
Pat Portage Reserve/Wauzhushk Tel.: (807) 548-5663
Onigum Nation Fax: (807) 548-4877
P.O. Box 1850
Kenora, Ontario
P9N 3X8
* Kingston (A)
1201 Division St. Unit B Tel.: (613) 542-2835
Kingston, Ontario Fax: (613) 542-3861
K7K 6X4
* Longlac (M)
Ginoogaming First Nation # 58 Box 687 Tel.: (807) 876-2962
Longlac, Ontario Fax: (809) 876-2968
P0T 2A0
* Sud-est d’Ottawa (B):
22-1485 Heatherington Rd (B) Tel.: (613) 523-2223
Ottawa, Ontario Fax: (613) 523-2360
K1V 8Z4
* Sudbury (F)
450 Morin St. Tel.: (705) 671-1941
Sudbury, Ontario Fax: (705) 671-1782
P3C 5H6
* Toronto (A)
85 River St. Tel.: (416) 362-0805
Toronto, Ontario Fax: (416) 362-5899
M5A 3P4
* Walpole Island (A)
Shkimnoyaawin/Niigaan Nikeyaa Tel.: (519) 627-0763
R.R. # 3 Walpole Island Fax: (519) 627-5358
Wallaceburg, Ontario
N8A 4K9
* Wiarton (M)
Chippewas of Nawash Tel.: (519) 534-4992
First Nations Fax: (519) 534-2130
#27 R.R. 5
Wiarton, Ontario
NOH 2T0
Housing
Prenatal Classes
For Lamaze Childbirth Classes try your local Parks and Recreation Guide or Google Lamaze Prenatal Classes in your town or city
Midwives/Birth coaches/Doulas
http://members.aom.on.ca/test/source/members/midwifesearch.cfm
Education
Google your local school board to get further information on high-schools that support pregnant and teen mothers.
Nutrition
Parenting Groups
http://thehealthline.ca/listServices.aspx?id=574
http://cioc.cmhagrb.on.ca/record/GCL1859
http://www.parentresource.on.ca/en/ottawaprc/Home_p555.html
Breastfeeding
http://www.infactcanada.ca/Breastfeeding_Rights.htm
Baby Clothing/Items
http://www.jessiescentre.org/teen_parents/
Employment
http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/owd/english/news/2009/n20090423.shtml
Child Care
http://www.ontario.ca/ONT/portal51/licensedchildcare
Help for Mothers Keeping Their Child
http://www.pregnancycarecentre.org/contact.php
http://www.first-place.ca/content.php?sec=4
Best Start/Healthy Child Programs
http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/programs/beststart/index.aspx