HSH: No mother is left behind

By Sara Cumming

Executive Director, Home Suite Hope

In February, I shared my concerns about the troubling rhetoric surrounding Ontario Works (OW) and the broader social assistance landscape in Ontario. Today, I write with a heavy heart, as the changes we feared have now become a reality — and they are already having a profoundly negative impact on the participants at Home Suite Hope (HSH).

As of March 1, 2025, all employment services for OW recipients have been shifted from municipal and district social services administration boards to Employment Ontario. On the surface, centralizing services may seem like a step toward efficiency. However, what this actually means for the single mothers we support is a loss of personalized assistance and a deepening of systemic barriers that keep them trapped in poverty.

Before these changes, OW caseworkers worked directly with recipients to develop tailored action plans that addressed their unique needs. For single mothers, this often meant personalized support in finding childcare, navigating transit, and identifying suitable job placements.  Under the new model, participants are being shuffled into a one-size-fits-all system that lacks the flexibility and understanding required to address the complexities of their lives.

Perhaps the most devastating blow is the elimination of employment-related benefits. As of February 28, 2025, the monthly benefits that once covered transportation costs, work attire, and other essentials have been axed. For our mothers, this isn't just a financial inconvenience — it's a full stop to their progress.

Imagine relying on a patchwork public transit system to drop your child off at daycare, commute across town to work, and then race back to pick your child up before closing. Without transportation assistance, the cost of bus fare alone becomes an insurmountable burden. For those who had been close to securing reliable vehicles through years of saving and support, this change feels like the ground has been pulled out from under them.

Furthermore, the abrupt end to training programs is a critical loss. In 2024, many of our mothers enrolled in skill-building courses that were set to position them for better job opportunities. Now, those programs are either cut short or unavailable altogether, leaving them with unfinished training and no clear path forward.

These changes have not only disrupted lives, but have actively dismantled the progress so many have fought tirelessly to achieve. For those unfamiliar with the lived reality of poverty, it may be easy to see these reforms as bureaucratic adjustments. But from where we stand, they are a direct assault on the tools and support systems that empower women to break cycles of poverty and build better futures for themselves and their children.

This is not a "cost-saving measure." It is a policy choice that strips people of their agency, making it harder — not easier — to achieve self-sufficiency. It perpetuates the false narrative that poverty is a personal failing rather than a structural issue.

At Home Suite Hope, we are stepping in to fill these widening gaps, but we can’t do it alone. We need your help more than ever. We are calling on our community, local businesses, and compassionate individuals to rally behind these mothers. Whether it's through donations, partnerships, or simply spreading awareness, your support makes an enormous difference.

If you are a local employer, consider offering flexible work opportunities that accommodate childcare schedules. If you are a used car dealership, let's work together to provide affordable vehicles for mothers who need reliable transportation to access work and school. Driving schools, your expertise could empower these women by helping them obtain their licenses. And for those who want to contribute financially, your donations help cover critical needs like gas, insurance, and vehicle maintenance.

The changes to Ontario Works are already making life harder for our participants, but we refuse to stand by and let these women be pushed further into the margins. Together, we can counteract these policies with compassion, action, and community-driven solutions.

Let’s rise to the occasion. Let’s show these mothers that they are not alone. Let’s be the safety net where the system has failed.

Please reach out if you want to get involved. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps rebuild the pathways that have been unjustly closed off.

Now is the time to act. Let’s drive change — and ensure no mother is left behind.

To contact us, reach out to info@homesuitehope.org.

To make a donation, visit our page on CanadaHelps