Working Women Community Centre - Settlement, English classes and family programs for immigrant women

Helps immigrant women and families with settlement (including help with permanent residence and work permit applications and sponsoring family), LINC English classes, tutoring for students, and parenting programs.

For: Newcomer women and families in Toronto; HIPPY Young Moms is for mothers aged 16 to 29 facing financial difficulties, and On Your Mark tutoring is for students struggling with reading, writing or math.

Toronto · checked 2 October 2026 · everything we know

Skills for Change - Free career coaching, bridging and trades programs

Coaching and workshops run all year; training programs have their own start dates, so ask when you call.

Free career coaching and job search workshops (resumes, cover letters, interviews, networking, mentoring) plus training such as occupational bridging, skilled trades and pre-apprenticeship, and youth employment programs.

For: Job seekers in Toronto, especially newcomers and refugees who bring education or work experience from outside Canada, and also women and youth; each training program sets its own entry rules.

Toronto · checked 2 October 2026 · everything we know

Legal Aid Ontario client service line (apply for legal aid)

No deadline. The phone line is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

The phone line where you apply for legal aid in Ontario. If you qualify, Legal Aid Ontario gives you a certificate that pays a private lawyer for a set number of hours, or free help from duty counsel lawyers at court, for family, criminal, child protection, immigration and refugee, and domestic violence problems.

For: People in Ontario with a low income and a legal problem. For a certificate in a family, immigration or refugee case, family income must be lower than $18,795 for 1 person, $32,131 for 2, $39,352 for 3, $45,289 for 4 and $50,803 for 5 or more. In a criminal case it must be lower than $45,440 for 1 to 4 people and $50,803 for 5 or more. If you have income or own property above this, you may still get a certificate with a contribution agreement, where you pay back some or all of the legal fees.

Ontario-wide · checked 4 October 2026 · everything we know

YMCA of Greater Toronto - Free youth programs (Teen Nights, mentorship, youth leadership)

Free youth programs including Teen Nights, Black Achievers mentorship for high school students, newcomer youth leadership, entrepreneurship and money-skills workshops; the Youth Leadership Development program also lets teens collect volunteer hours for school.

For: Youth in the Greater Toronto Area: Teen Nights ages 13 to 18, newcomer youth leadership ages 13 to 24, money skills ages 14 to 24, entrepreneurship ages 15 to 24, Black Achievers for Black high school students, and Youth Leadership Development ages 11 to 18.

Toronto · checked 2 October 2026 · everything we know

Free English and French classes for newcomers (LINC and CLIC), with the free YMCA language assessment in Toronto

Classes run all year, during the day, evening or on weekends. An in-person assessment takes 2.5 to 3 hours. Assessment results are temporarily valid for 24 months.

Language classes in English (LINC) and French (CLIC) funded by the Government of Canada, online or in a classroom, full time or part time, at no cost. Before you start, you need a free language assessment. In Toronto, the YMCA Language Assessment and Referral Centres test you and refer you to a free class near you.

For: LINC and CLIC classes are for permanent residents and protected persons. The free YMCA assessment is for people 18 or older (or younger with a high school diploma) who are a Canadian citizen born outside Canada, a permanent resident, a convention refugee or protected person, a refugee claimant, a live-in caregiver, a person whose permanent residence application has initial approval, or a CUAET holder from Ukraine; the assessor can also refer you to other free government-funded English or French programs.

Toronto · checked 4 October 2026 · everything we know

Workers' Action Centre (Workers' Rights Info Line)

A Toronto workers' centre whose phone line gives free, confidential information about your rights at work and help with ways to deal with a bad employer or get unpaid wages. It also runs support clinics for one-on-one help and workers' rights workshops across the Greater Toronto Area.

For: Workers in Toronto and Ontario with a problem at work, especially people in low-wage and unstable jobs, recent immigrants, workers of colour, women and youth.

Toronto · checked 4 October 2026 · everything we know

Healthy Babies Healthy Children (Toronto Public Health): free home visits in pregnancy and the early years

Open all year. A child can join until their third birthday.

A free, voluntary home visiting program. A Public Health Nurse and a Family Home Visitor visit you at home and help with pregnancy, breastfeeding and feeding, your child's growth and development, parenting and your own well-being, and connect you to community programs and health services. Family Home Visitors come from many cultural groups and may speak your language, and interpretation is available.

For: People who live in Toronto, are pregnant or parenting a child 3 or younger (children can join until their third birthday), are the child's legal guardian, can have home visits during program hours, and have at least one need, for example: a newcomer to Canada here less than 3 years and having a first baby in Canada, little support around you, a physical or mental health problem that makes parenting or pregnancy hard, questions about your child's health or development, or hard life situations such as homelessness, domestic violence or no OHIP. You do not need an OHIP card.

Toronto · checked 4 October 2026 · everything we know