IMMIGRANT ACCESS FUND(IAF)

Immigrant Access Fund

Micro loans for Internationally Trained Immigrants

We promote the Immigrant Acces Fund as we believe newcomers should be provide with small loans to get accreditation in their fields to work in Ontario, Canada. The mandate of the Immigrant Access Fund (IAF) is to relieve poverty by providing micro-loans to needy immigrants in order to assist them in obtaining Canadian accreditation, upgrading or training that will allow them to obtain employment in their specified field.

The future of our country depends on productively integrating their energy and skills into the Canadian workforce.

For more information about the Immigrant Access Fund, please contact or e-mail garcia_maria@mail.com


Visit the Immigrant Access Fund website for more information.
http://www.iafcanada.org/


Lone Parent Women
Financial Assistance for Single-Parent/Low-Income Families

The number of single-parent families continues to increase
Financial assistance programs are available from all levels of the government, as well as private organizations.

Receiving aid can be humbling experience, but helps families meet basic needs
It's no secret that single-parent families have been on the rise over the past several decades. It's also no secret that higher education costs have raised dramatically as well.

Statistics About Single-Parent Families

Going to college is not necessarily a privilege as once considered in the past, but rather a necessity to gain employment to survive.

According to survey for Children in Poverty, single-parent families are more than twice as likely to be considered low-income as two-parent families.

Low income and the one-parent family is a frustrating combination for attending college. While federal and/or provincial financial aid is sometimes available for qualified students, the amount of grants and loans have not kept up with the rising cost of higher education.

Although all types of families must make concessions for the student or parent to attend college, one-parent families usually have extremely limited income and no assets to assist with college expenses.

However, there are a number of resources available to low-income, one-parent families which may help with family income.


Managing the Budget for a Single-parent Family

Aid for Education

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (osap.gov.on.ca) is one source for federal and/or provincial funding. By completing the OSAP, the student (whether child or parent) Loans, grants. bursaries, and scholarships may be available to you through OSAP.

With the exception of the student loans, all aid is need-based. These are all excellent opportunities for financial assistance and should be utilized, but it usually is not enough to cover tuition, fees, books, and living expenses, etc.

A parent attending college is most likely applying as an independent student and has the availability for additional loan resources, but there are other avenues that can be taken to avoid borrowing extreme amounts.

These other options are outside the realm of financial aid, but can assist families with reducing personal costs, thereby taking advantage of programs that may increase discretionary income.

Write Down Spending Habits

First and foremost, sacrifices must be made. As with any family with a college student, discretionary income must be spent frugally.

To determine whether overspending can be eliminated, get a notebook and keep a journal of all expenses for at least three months. Then review expenses to see where cuts can be made.

Obviously, food and shelter cannot be compromised, but skip the McDonald's and cook a meal. Forget upgrading to the national cell phone plan and go with the basic if it meets your needs.

Criticism and judgment is not the objective here. Reducing unnecessary costs can mean money in your pocket.

Aid for Medical Insurance (Immigrants without OHIP)

The Canadian government provides temporary health insurance to refugees, protected persons and refugee claimants, plus their dependents, under the Interim Federal Health Program. The insurance covers the cost of emergency medical care and other services and is only available to individuals who are not yet covered by a provincial or territorial health plan and meet certain criteria. To inquire about the Interim Federal Health Program, call 1-888-242-2100 or TTY 1-888-576-8502.

Each province is different, so to determine if you qualify, call 1-888-242-2100 NOW or go to their Web site. Even paying a small amount for insurance can increase disposable income in the long run by reducing payments for expensive doctor and/or hospital visits.


Help Paying for the Essentials
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Ontario Works (OW) program is available to parent(s) with children who cannot provide for the family's basic needs. OW carries the slang term of welfare, but don't be embarrassed.

Aid for Heating and Cooling Bills
Ontario Works (OW) also offers program benefits for low-income families to help with heating and cooling costs.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (OW) is designed to help families with elderly residents or small children, and households where income is low but energy costs are high, and health and safety risks arise if bills are not paid. Again, each province has their own application and qualifications, so to see if you qualify for assistance with your heating and cooling expenses.

While trying to better yourself by getting an education, take advantage of this assistance if you qualify because the assistance is time-limited. OW was created for people who need money because they cannot find work or temporarily cannot work, to Aid Families with Dependent Children . Provinces in Canada have been accorded their own rules and budget for awarding assistance, so check with your local or township or human development services office.

Aid for Housing

Ontarians can now apply to the province’s latest affordable housing program, Rental Opportunity for Ontario Families (ROOF), which will provide a monthly housing allowance to low-income families struggling to pay their rent.

Families can request an application form by calling 1-888-544-5101, TTY line 1-800-263-7776, or by signing up online at http://www.ontario.ca/ROOF.

Organizations Helping Single Mothers

Parents Without Partners Inc., Toronto Chapter
http://www.pwptoronto.com/
In addition to federal programs, there are a number of private organizations that offer assistance to single-parent or low-income families. Parents Without Partners Inc., Toronto Chapter offers info about shared housing for mothers to reduce the cost of living expenses.

MoM (www.immigrantwomencentre.blogspot.com)

Aims to end the cycle of poverty by giving single-parent students the support they need to achieve a four-year college degree. offers the Women's Independence Scholarship Program to help survivors of domestic violence. Their goal is to provide this scholarship for women of domestic violence who want to get an education at any type of college, whether full or part time. Their goal is to help women gain employment and personal independence.

Resources in the Community

2-1-1
Heard of 2-1-1? It's a free service for the community to access services such as food banks, utility assistance, housing, child care, etc, in your area.


Food Banks
Do not forget to consider food banks as a resource for reducing living costs.
We are supporting and run a small food pantry.

Resell Shops
Also, utilize resell shops in your area for great bargains on good clothes. Don't feel ashamed to buy from resale shops or even budget stores such as the Salvation Army or Goodwill.

Some of the best clothes at the cheapest prices can be found in these stores! Another great resource is Freecycle.org. A national program, the network is broken down by county or town.

Everything listed is FREE. Members can either post an item to give away, or post a "want" to find something needed.

The YMCA or YWCA
Young Men's Christian Association & Young Women's Christian Association
If you are in need of shelter, find your local Y. The YMCA or YWCA provides temporary and permanent shelter to spouses with children, especially those who are escaping a dangerous or abusing situation. They also have employment services, job training, and literacy programs available to those who need it.

Tax Refunds
One last comment is to take advantage of tax credits.

It may require going to a tax preparer, but many families, especially low-income or single-parents, don't realize they can benefit from:

Earned Income Credit,
Child Tax Credit (if child is under age 17),
Education Credits,
educational loan interest paid,
or educational credits or Lifetime Learning Credit.
Any one of these could significantly increase a tax refund. Often, there are free tax advisors available in towns or on college campuses that can help students if a tax preparer is not affordable.

Starting Your Search
These are a few resources out there for single-parent and/or low-income families. This is definitely not the limit. Start with local resources like visiting us or your human services office, financial aid office, and Toronto city hall.

Then access Canada government for additional resources. Lastly, do a Google or some other type of search on the Internet for single-parent or low-income family financial resources.

Good readings:

manuals-search-engine.com/single-parent-help-in-ontario.html

Industries with Jobs for Single Women
http://singlemindedwomen.com/careers-for-women/industries-with-jobs-for-single-women/
Guaranteed, there are many more opportunities out there. However, be careful of Web sites that charge a fee for a scholarship search or application. Read the fine print with applications before you submit information via the Internet.

Although many are ways to help with living expenses, any portion of your income saved can help with educational expenses.