Ontario Association of Social Workers Applauds Government’s Investment in Shelter Expansion to Protect Vulnerable Women and Children

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW), the voice of social work in Ontario, is applauding the Ontario government’s investment in Nellie’s, a shelter for women and children in Toronto, to better support survivors of domestic violence. 

“The OASW applauds the government for investing $12 million in Nellie’s to build a new, modern facility to ensure the women and children seeking refuge from domestic violence are better served,” said Dr. Deepy Sur, CEO, OASW.  “Investments such as these are pivotal in ensuring women, children, and families have immediate access to safety and high quality care.  I am also pleased to see a focus on building spaces that are designed to respond to unique and diverse needs.”

Ontario's social workers can be found across the province providing essential mental health care, including psychotherapy and counselling, crisis intervention and system navigation to individuals dealing with domestic violence. Social workers know all too well that when leaving an abusive situation, accessing the right resources, at the right time and in the right place is vitally important, particularly for those who are already experiencing marginalization.

“Today’s investment will make a real difference in people’s lives,” concluded Dr. Sur. “OASW is pleased to see the government’s focus on this important issue and looks forward to working with them to further improve the lives of countless Ontarians.”                                                                                                                                     

About OASW
 
OASW is the voice of social work in Ontario. It is a voluntary, bilingual, non-profit association representing approximately 5,700 social workers. All members have a university degree in social work at the bachelor, master or doctoral level. OASW works to actively speak on behalf of social workers on issues of interest to the profession and advocates for the improvement of social policies and programs directly affecting social work practice and client groups served.