Gender-Based Violence Services

Mothers in Mind® (MIM) is a trauma-informed mother-child group program specifically designed to meet the parenting needs of mothers who have experienced interpersonal trauma (including intimate partner violence) and have children under the age of 4.

The program helps mothers connect with their young children in a playful, supportive environment. To build upon their parenting strengths, MIM covers a wide range of topics to help mothers take care of themselves while responding sensitively to the needs of their young child.

In addition, participants are provided with healthy snacks and storybooks for children to take home.

Here to Help (H2H) is a 12-week group intervention program for children ages 4 to 18 and their mothers who have experienced family violence.

Offered twice a year, this in-person group provides a safe and supportive environment for mothers and children to talk about the violence they have experienced, process their emotions together and learn that they are not alone in their experiences.

Child care, TTC fares, dinner and language interpretation are provided free of charge.

CDI partners with shelters to provide mothers and their children who have experienced abuse or violence with services to help them with their specific needs. CDI’s programs include:

• Shelters Program
• School Liaison Program (SLP)
• Transitional & Housing Support Program (THSP)

To register or make a referral, please reach out to CDI’s gender-based violence services team at GBVS@childdevelop.ca. You will receive an automatic reply that will help direct you to the main contact for each of our programs:

• Mothers in Mind (MIM)
• Here to Help
• Transitional and Housing Support Program (THSP)
• School Liaison Program (SLP)
• Shelters Program

CDI’s gender-based violence services do not hold a waiting list and we are open to consulting about registrations and/or referrals at any time to help decide which program would be best.

To register or make a referral, please reach out to our team at GBVS@childdevelop.ca.

CDI’s Mothers in Mind team assesses each family’s situation on a case-by-case basis. In situations where a mother is still living with her abusive partner, our team will engage in safety planning to ensure that it is safe for her to participate in the program.

For the Transitional and Housing Support Program, the mother/woman seeking support does not have to be separated from her partner to be eligible.

If you have a question about registration, referrals, or are unsure about your/a family’s eligibility for the various programs, please reach out to our team at GBVS@childdevelop.ca.

Yes, CDI partners with Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, a multi-service agency that provides interpretation services that specialize in serving diverse women and gender diverse people who have experienced violence. Interpretation services in more than 100 languages are available to all youth and adults aged 16 and above who participate in CDI’s gender-based violence programs. These services are available in-person, over the phone, and virtually.

For families leaving CDI’s Shelters Program and School Liaison Program, our team maintains communication and offers transition support through making referrals to community-based services (e.g., counselling). Once families leave the shelter, the team can provide limited follow-up sessions depending on the family’s needs.

We receive referrals from across the GTA. If a family does not live near our location, CDI can support them with transportation or work with the family to find an alternate location that works for them.

Occasionally, we receive referrals regarding families who live outside of the GTA. In these cases, CDI works with our partner organizations to connect the family with local services to best meet their needs. Additionally, we are flexible to providing our group programs in the community on an as-needed basis, depending on available spaces at our partner organizations.

If your organization is interested in sharing your space and/or partnering with CDI, please reach out to GBVS@childdevelop.ca.

For both the Mothers in Mind and Here to Help programs, CDI offers weekly one-on-one phone parenting support or check-ins with mothers to go more in-depth into the program’s themes. These phone calls provide mothers with an opportunity to connect strategies they are learning in the program to their personal parenting experiences, as well as address any additional concerns they may be having in the form of supportive counselling.

Additionally, for mothers who find these weekly phone calls helpful, our team offers transitional support in the form of counselling or referrals to other programs depending on their needs.

Yes, our team would be happy to visit your organization, virtually or in-person, to share information about CDI’s gender-based violence services, the referral process, and answer any questions you may have. To inquire about a presentation, please contact GBVS@childdevelop.ca.

Anyone can register or make a referral to Mothers in Mind, Here to Help, and the Transitional and Housing Support Program.

For CDI’s Shelters Program and School Liaison Program, CDI only accepts referrals from our official partner organizations.

To best accommodate the needs of the families we serve, CDI offers our group programs at various partner locations across Toronto. If your organization is interested in sharing your space and/or partnering with CDI, please reach out to GBVS@childdevelop.ca.