Status of Women committee  That's it exactly. I would agree with you that our participants are often complimented by faculty and different staff at colleges. They are very dedicated and extremely organized, because they've learned through their life experience to juggle multiple responsibilities. When we

Status of Women committee  It's livable income, sustainable wage, housing, access to affordable child care, and therapy and counselling—many of them are dealing with PTSD and trauma experiences—so it's a variety of things. It's a package of services that these women need. It's never a single-faceted issue.

Status of Women committee  Absolutely, education is extremely important with respect to starting with young children. We've found a very essential component that provides opportunities for the children of the women who are in the program for positive role modelling and education, through mentorship program

Status of Women committee  Thanks for providing this opportunity. I'll just quickly give some numbers. Of the participants who enter the program, 46% come from the shelter system, and 94% are stably housed upon exit. I mentioned that 8% of them are homeowners. Sixty-four per cent had either grade 12 or

Status of Women committee  We have close to 100 units available for families, two- and three-bedroom units. Because it's ongoing, I can say that we've helped over 300 families and some 500 children through the course of our homeward bound program. Because it's a long-term program, it's not like they stay f

Status of Women committee  Thank you so much for the fantastic opportunity. I am always passionate to talk about the homeward bound program. I've been with the program since 2008. I've witnessed amazing transformations of women who have gone through the program. As I said, the majority of them came from t

Status of Women committee  Exactly. Both education and employment are really the goals of the program. We sponsor two-year college diplomas, so they gain their education with one of the community colleges in Toronto. It's not just random programs; they are programs connected to the labour market. The st

Status of Women committee  Thank you. Absolutely. It's kind of like we work backwards. We explore the labour market opportunities. All of the programs we sponsor are consulted by our industry council partners, the employers that will be providing the internships and employment. As I said, we work with mo

Status of Women committee  Sure. Thank you for the question. Really, I'm here to present the homeward bound program as a really good example of a model that addresses both social and financial structural barriers. I think previous witnesses recognized that it's never a one-faceted problem when it comes to

Status of Women committee  Absolutely. It's a very difficult and complicated situation. On one side, they are fleeing a controlled environment. One problem is that shelters do not have sufficient space in terms of really giving a safe environment for all women who need it. That's one side. On the other, th

Status of Women committee  It's in partnership with Peterborough Housing Corporation.

Status of Women committee  Yes. They have a building. I'm not familiar with the address in particular, but it's part of their housing fund.

Status of Women committee  Thank you, Chair. My name is Yordanka Petrova, and I am the senior manager of the WoodGreen Community Services homeward bound program. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women for this invitation to address your