Frequently Asked Questions
Women (16 or older) requesting admission to the shelter must be in crisis due to violence and abuse in their intimate relationship. It is the responsibility of the intake counsellor to determine whether or not a client is in crisis and requires emergency shelter. Women coming to the shelter must be able to live cooperatively and care for herself and her children. It may be necessary for some potential clients to come for an assessment prior to being accepted.
No. Abuse can take many forms including: physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, spiritual, and financial. Women who experience any type of abuse may stay at the emergency shelter.
The location of the shelter is confidential. Call the Crisis Line at 1-800-263-3247 to discuss your situation with a crisis worker. If you are offered space in our shelter, you will then be informed of the shelter location.
Yes. We accept all dependents. During the intake assessment, the crisis worker will review your individual circumstances and together you will make decisions about what is the safest and best option for your family.
You will work with our Children’s Recreation and Advocacy Worker to continue your children in their present school or enroll them in a local school or daycare centre.
Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate pets in the emergency shelters unless your pet is a service animal. We will try to assist you by suggesting pet fostering resources such as the OSPCA in Stouffville (https://ontariospca.ca/peac/) or Safe Pet Ontario (https://safepet.ca/) . Both organizations can provide temporary housing and care for pets to assist women leaving abusive partners.
If you can, you should bring your identification and your children’s identification such as: birth certificates, passports, immigration papers, health care information, documentation about your housing, proof of residence/cohabitation, lease/rental agreement, house deed, mortgage papers, divorce papers, custody documentation, court orders, restraining orders, marriage certificate, medication/prescription, bank card and bank information, and your address book (e-mail, website, doctors, friends, etc.). You will be advised about what other items to bring with you. Please note that we cannot store items for you, so you will only be able to bring essentials.
We have some emergency clothing and toiletries at the emergency shelter. You can also go to a local clothing program to choose some clothes free of charge.
There is no cost to stay at the emergency shelter. We are funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, as well by the generous support of donors to Yellow Brick House.
Confidentiality and safety are our highest priorities. We do not disclose the identities of those residing in our emergency shelters.
No, Yellow Brick House does not provide permanent housing. We assist our clients in securing their own affordable and safe accommodations.