Settlement & Integration
Newcomer Settlement
Immigrant and refugee women and their families experience many short and long term barriers to integration. Our services range from assistance with basic survival and orientation, such as securing social assistance, to helping long time immigrants who continue to experience barriers.
Newly arrived immigrants receive one-to-one information, orientation, referrals, supportive counselling and advocacy in a variety of languages. *Pour les services en français, veuillez contacter, Centre Francophone de Toronto (416) 922-2672
Through intake and assessment, staff are able to provide information and counselling as well as referral to other services in the community. Clients are provided with settlement information and support in such areas as:
- Temporary or permanent housing;
- Child care services and public education for children;
- English language classes;
- Employment services;
- Government services (Social Insurance Number, Health Card, etc.);
- Legal services and legal aid;
- Access to Health services;
- Training and adult education programs; and
- Completion and assistance with immigration forms and processes.
WWCC’s settlement services are offered across the city of Toronto at our offices and at community partner locations
For an appointment please contact us at the location nearest you.
HIPPY
HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) is an internationally recognized trademarked program run exclusively by Working Women Community Centre,in the city of Toronto. the HIPPY program provides newcomer families with the tools and support that allow them to make a real difference in their children’s lives. Parents are empowered to help their children successfully enter the school system, thrive in school, and integrate into Canadian society faster and easier.
As part of our Education programming, HIPPY recognizes that parents are their children’s first and best teachers. Research has shown that the ideal time for children to start learning is in their earliest years. Through early intervention, the program assists immigrant families with their settlement needs, ensures enhanced success for children headed to kindergarten, and enables parents to play a key role in this learning and settlement process.
Home visitors are employed to work with HIPPY families in their homes. The home visitors bring a new set of instructional materials weekly, and using role-play, they spend one hour per week reviewing the materials with the parents. Parents then deliver lessons to their child in 15-minute daily sessions. Newcomer families make a two-year commitment to participate in the program over 30 weeks per year, concurrently with the school year.
Throughout the city of Toronto, Working Women Community Centre runs HIPPY in the following neighborhoods:
- Downtown West community
- Malvern community
- Thorncliffe Park/Flemingdon and Victoria Village communities
- Jane and Finch community
We work in collaboration with several community partners that include: Parkdale Newcomer Service Providers Network , Neighbourhood & Health Centre, Malvern Family Resource Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, and Flemingdon Neighbourhood Services.
Turtle House Family Arts Program
Turtle House Family Arts Program is a free art and community engagement program specifically designed for newcomer or refugee parents and their children 4 – 12 years of age. The program aims to create spaces for families to develop stronger connections to their new communities and engages participants in multi-disciplinary arts such as painting, clay-making and music. In addition to Arts programming, Turtle House also focuses on engaging parents through series of Conversation Circles which entail discussions and presentations on topics related to settlement and parenting, increasing parents’ knowledge and access to community resources and services.
Although typically an in-person program, sessions are currently being held online, via Zoom with program materials provided for participants. Please see the link below for more information on eligibility and upcoming series. Families can only register for one of the 4 available programs. First time participants will be given priority.
