Who do I call to get help for myself and my children?
If you or your children are in immediate danger, call 911.
For crisis counselling and referral services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can call the Assaulted Women's Helpline:
Toll free (Ontario)
1-866-863-0511
1-866-863-7868 TTY
Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
(416) 863-0511
(416) 863-7868 TTY
#SAFE
#7233 on your Bell Mobility phone
For more information on resources for victims of domestic violence, please see the links to online resources page on this website.
What can I expect when I am in a Violence Against Women shelter?
Violence Against Women shelters, funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services, serve and support women and their children who are escaping violence.
Shelters provide shared accommodation for women and their children. A mother and her children are housed in bedrooms in the shelter, where cots may be used to accommodate additional women or children. Residents of the shelter share a common living space and may be asked to share chores, such as cooking and cleaning.
Many shelters also provide outreach services to women in the community. This service is intended to increase awareness of the services available in the area.
Shelters also provide counselling services to women and their children who may or may not be residents of the shelter. Counselling and other support services help women to identify the options available to them in order to establish new lives without abuse.
Shelters provide referral services to women who have left an abusive relationship. If a woman would like to move to another community, a shelter may provide a list of support services available in the new community.
Referrals are also provided to women who are looking to leave an abusive relationship. A shelter may refer women to counselling services in the area or connect her with alternative shelters, should the appropriate space not be available.
Many shelters have working relationships with other services, such as police, hospitals and schools. These relationships enhance the ability of the various organizations to provide safe and appropriate services to abused women and their children. In some instances, these relationships are formalized through a written protocol.
Approximately 15,000 women and 13,000 children are served each year in Ontario's violence against women shelters.
How long can I stay at the shelter?
Each Violence Against Women shelter establishes its own policy on how long women and their children may stay at a shelter.
What happens after I leave the shelter?
Workers in various shelters and counselling agencies throughout the province help women escaping domestic violence make the transition to a life free of violence.
They support women in developing transition plans and in connecting with necessary community supports and resources to carry out the plans, such as housing, counselling, parenting support, education upgrade, job training, income support, legal aid and health and wellness services.