One would be that there has to be funding available for the mental health issue, support groups. Also one of the big problems is culture shock. Mostly when they come here, a different population is involved. They are under the impression that everything is different here. Support groups would be very helpful to bring them together. That's what we do. For the refugees we have sponsored, as a SAH, mostly we try to bring five or six families together to provide support and a social network among themselves.
Also, get them enrolled in English-language classes. I heard that some of them don't feel like going to classes. Make it interesting for them. Mostly for women when they go to women-only classes, we have some activities like outings that will attract them to the classes. Sometimes when I have gone to the classes, during the break they sing their own songs and play their own music. It makes it very attractive to them and helps them come out of the home and be less isolated.
There are multicultural women's wellness programs. We work with the Canadian Mental Health Association. We found that very useful for newcomer women with stress. There are other issues. There is a need for parenting programs. We had a loving family, and their children are now at risk of being taken by the Children's Aid Society because of the way they were dealing with them. Parenting programs are needed, not just for women.
As for the host program, the host should be from their own community and connected with other community members.