Beginnings & transitions

Helping children reach their full potential and enabling immigrants to engage, contribute and thrive.

In a community where everyone matters, we all deserve a good start.  We all want to feel welcomed and supported through transitions so we can succeed, contribute and thrive.

Investments in prevention and early intervention simply make sense.  Addressing issues and building support systems for people early on helps prevent problems from becoming more complex in the future. Also, it makes financial sense; investing early costs far less than more complicated solutions later.

Why focus on beginnings & transitions?

• One in four of children entering the school system is not ready to learn
• One quarter of children in low income, two-parent families have some kind of psychiatric, educational or social problems.  This rises to 43% for children of low income, single-parent families
• One in five Londoners is an immigrant
• London has the highest per capita population of refugees in Canada

An example of how we respond to the issue

Almost 10,000 children in London and Middlesex accessed United Way funded free or low-cost summer or after school programming that helped to build self-esteem, gain friendships and enhance literacy.

Impact of your gift

• Your $180 provides one year of tutoring for a child, providing them an essential base of literacy skills for lifelong learning
• Your $300 provides a child from a low-income family a one-week, residential camp experience where they have the opportunity to develop positive social, emotional and physical growth
• Your $30 provides one hour of translation services for an immigrant family to assist with communicating with legal or health care professionals, teachers and potential employers
• Your $150 provides one year of weekly practice learning English while receiving community support and making new friends

London and Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership Council (LMLIP)

United Way is proud co-chair of the London and Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership Council (LMLIP). In 2009-10, the LMLIP developed a Community Immigrant Strategic Plan for London and Middlesex.

Access the Plan in English and French: http://www.welcome.london.ca/pdfs/LMLIP/StrategicPlanFinal_En.pdf; http://welcome.london.ca/pdfs/LMLIP/StrategicPlanFinal_Fr.pdf

Community mobilization

During this past year, the London and Middlesex community has been on an exciting journey to support immigrants through the development of an integrative, comprehensive local strategy.  This process has included three community meetings:

• November 18, 2009 Community Strategy Meeting, where our community convened to provide their valuable input on the draft Terms of Reference for the London and Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership Council
• February 2, 2010 Community Action Planning Day, where our community heard local research and discussed issues related to gaps in the areas of focus: Education, Employment, Health and Wellbeing, Inclusion and Civic Engagement, Justice and Protection Services and Settlement
• May 26, 2010 Community Strategy Meeting, where our community heard, provided input and unanimously endorsed the LMLIP strategic outcomes and Sub-council plans for the London and Middlesex Strategic Plan
• Under ambitious timelines, and through leadership of United Way, the Central Council and the six Sub-councils have contributed significant time, energy and vision to develop the Community Immigrant Strategic Plan for London and Middlesex
  

United Way and immigration

Leadership in the LMLIP is an important part of United Way’s work in the Beginnings & Transitions impact area; the Community Immigrant Strategic Plan for London and Middlesex sets the strategic framework for our agency investments, advocacy, research, and community development.

If you have any questions please contact:

Kelly McManus, Director, Community Partnerships & Investment
Huda Hussein, LMLIP Project Coordinator, by email, hhussein@uwlondon.on.ca or phone, 519-438-1723 ext. 338.