The return to school can bring a welcome sense of routine for families. Familiar schedules, classroom connections and time with friends can help children and teens feel more grounded after the less structured days of summer.
However, for families living in shelter after leaving domestic violence, returning to school can also be a time of significant adjustment.
Added Pressures of Returning to School for Families in Shelter
Children may be starting at a new school, travelling from an unfamiliar neighbourhood or trying to reconnect with friends without sharing where they are living. They may be carrying worries about what has happened at home while also managing the everyday expectations of classes, homework and activities.
Parents face pressures of their own. In addition to supporting their children through the transition, they may be coordinating school registration, transportation, supplies and schedules while managing work, appointments, legal matters and their family’s healing.
Rebuilding Stability After Leaving Violence
Beth* understood these pressures. Her family had once been financially comfortable, regularly giving to local causes, but after Beth left violence and moved into Radiance with her three children, everything changed.
Although she and her children were physically safe, Beth continued to experience pressure from her abuser as they negotiated a shared custody agreement. He was receiving the Canada Child Benefit and refused to pass it along, making it more difficult for Beth to meet her children’s everyday needs.
As the school year approached, those financial pressures carried even more weight. Clothing, school supplies, transportation and other back-to-school expenses can add up quickly—particularly for a parent rebuilding stability after leaving violence.
Beth was trying to manage legal and financial matters while parenting three children and making important decisions about their future. Like many mothers living in shelter, she was carrying these responsibilities while also supporting her children through a period of profound change.
Experiences like Beth’s are why connection matters.
Support for the Whole Family at Radiance
At Radiance, Beth’s case manager helped her understand her options, supported her safety and respected her choices. When she was ready, Beth applied to receive the Canada Child Benefit, helping to ease some of the immediate financial pressure on her family.
Beth’s children were also navigating their own emotions about returning to school. School could offer valuable consistency and connection, but it could also bring difficult questions. They wondered what to tell their friends, how to explain changes in their routines or whether anyone would discover they were living in shelter.
Children and teens do not always have the words to explain what they are feeling—and they should never have to carry those feelings alone.
At Radiance, mothers and children have trusted adults they can turn to. They can spend time with an in-house child therapist or youth worker who is there to listen, offer support and help them understand their emotions. This gives children and teens a safe place to ask questions, share their worries or simply be themselves without feeling pressure to explain everything.
Connection Is Part of Healing
Returning to school while living in shelter is about much more than backpacks and schedules. It is about helping children feel secure as they enter a new classroom or reconnect with familiar friends. It is about supporting mothers as they manage additional expenses, changing routines and decisions about their family’s future. Most importantly, it is about ensuring every member of the family feels supported through the transition.
At Radiance, we believe connection is an essential part of healing. For families rebuilding after violence, compassionate support and reliable relationships can help create the safety, stability and sense of belonging they need to move forward—at the beginning of the school year and beyond.
*Name changed to protect privacy.