Latest news with #socialServices
CBC
06-07-2025
- General
- CBC
City reveals new transitional housing in downtown Ottawa
The city and its partners unveiled a new transitional housing space Thursday, with a focus on newcomers. Nkele Martin got a tour.
Japan Times
29-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Measures to ease inflation must be speedy, says Prime Minister Ishiba
Any measures to ease inflation in Japan must be speedy and shouldn't impede the government's ability to fund social services, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Sunday, in a comment reflecting his aversion to sales tax cuts as opposition parties campaign to lower the duty ahead of a key election next month. "We must secure the necessary funds for medical care, elderly care, and pensions. On top of that, the response to the current inflationary trends needs immediacy. It needs to be speedy,' Ishiba said on Sunday at a conference hosted by nonprofit organization Japan Productivity Center. He added that measures to counter inflation must reach those most in need, and touted recent steps that eased rice and gasoline prices as examples. Ishiba has opposed lowering the sales tax ahead of an Upper House election where voters will vote on the performance of his minority government. The ruling coalition suffered its worst-ever result in a Tokyo metropolitan election last week, with voters raising the high cost-of-living as well as anger over political scandals as factors that helped determine how they voted. A Kyodo News poll conducted over the weekend showed that 50.2% of respondents hoped to see the ruling coalition lose their majority in the Upper House, while 38.1% hoped to see them maintain it. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito need to win only 50 out of 125 contested seats to maintain a majority in the Upper House. The same poll showed that 70% of respondents want a cut in the consumption tax to deal with persistent inflation, while Ishiba's pledge to provide cash handouts was supported by 23.8%. Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the country's largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, promoted his party's promise to temporarily lower the consumption tax on food, saying that a major factor for Japan's inflation, currently the highest among Group of Seven countries, is rising food prices. "I believe the most effective way to counter inflation is by bringing down the current 8% consumption tax on food down to 0%,' Noda said at the same conference, adding that his plan would call for a temporary cut with a pre-determined time limit of up to two years. Inflation in Tokyo slowed in June for the first time in four months as a result of government steps to reduce utility and gasoline prices. Still, voters across Japan have seen more than three years of inflation at or above the Bank of Japan's 2% target.
Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
RAICES Adopts NewOrg to Strengthen Social Services for Immigrants and Refugees Nationwide
Leading immigrant rights and refugee resettlement agency partners with NewOrg to launch a customized case management system that streamlines client services and improves compliance and support. Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - June 24, 2025) - NewOrg Management System, Inc., a leading provider of customizable, cloud-based data management solutions for nonprofits and local governments, announced today that RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) has selected and implemented NewOrg's platform to coordinate and enhance its nationwide delivery of social services for immigrants and refugees. Founded in 1986 in San Antonio, RAICES began as a grassroots effort to support Central American refugees. Today, it is one of the largest immigration legal services providers in Texas, with a growing national presence. Rooted in the values of justice, compassion, and community, RAICES offers free and low-cost legal services, holistic case management, and social services for individuals and families navigating the complex U.S. immigration system. In addition to direct service, RAICES plays a leading role in advocacy, impact litigation, and narrative change, working to shift culture and policy toward a more equitable and welcoming society. The organization believes that no one should face detention, deportation, or asylum proceedings without due process and access to support systems. 'RAICES turned to NewOrg for more than just software,' said Marisol Girela, Senior Director of Refugee Client Services. 'We needed a true partner to bring together the many moving parts of our services into one coordinated system, so that we could enhance our service delivery model rooted in dignity and care.' With programs spanning housing, employment, wellness, and support services, RAICES needed a platform capable of managing complex workflows, meeting regulatory compliance, and simplifying reporting. NewOrg delivered a flexible, user-friendly solution that centralizes data, streamlines tasks like financial requisitions and referrals, and allows staff to focus more on the people they serve. To support RAICES's needs, NewOrg implemented a tailored suite of tools, including: About RAICES: Marisol B. Girela, LCSW Senior Director, Refugee Client Services +1 (210) 960-4029 [email protected] 131 Interpark Dr. San Antonio, TX 78216 RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Texas with a national reach. The organization promotes migrant justice by providing legal and social services, case management, and advocacy for immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking individuals and families. Learn more at About NewOrg Management System, Inc. NewOrg Management System, Inc. provides an integrated, cloud-based data management platform for nonprofits and government agencies, with more than 50,000 users across the U.S. and Canada since 2006. NewOrg's fully customizable solution supports case management, service tracking, grant compliance, and more-helping partners increase efficiency, transparency, and sustainability. Media Contact: Sotiris Koutsoyannis Marketing/Communication Specialist NewOrg Management System, Inc. 866-843-2835 x3 [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit
Arab News
21-06-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Championing the region's children living with disabilities
What if our world were designed so that every child, including those living with disabilities, had the care, support and opportunities they needed not just to survive, but to flourish? The children of today are growing up amid many unprecedented uncertainties, including economic instability, armed conflicts, pandemics and climate change — each posing compounding threats to their well-being. According to a UNESCO report, one in every seven children in the Middle East and North Africa region is living with a disability, totaling about 21 million children. Conflicts, displacement and under-resourced social services have left many children with disabilities isolated or excluded. Even in more stable settings, policy frameworks warrant greater attention to ensure they deliver universal, inclusive, affordable and quality support. As such, children living with disabilities and their carers disproportionately bear the brunt of multifaceted challenges. Even with the delivery of fragmented services, scaling is urgently needed in terms of reach, quality and funding. Without adequate scale-up, children with disabilities will continue to fall through the cracks of limited and disconnected programs, unable to access the full spectrum of services and support required for maximum impact. For instance, the exclusion of children with disabilities from early childhood centers and schools significantly reduces their access to crucial early interventions and denies them their right to learn, play and socialize with their peers. A number of gaping challenges are still present, such as a lack of inclusive education policies, inaccessible school facilities, curricula that are not adapted to special learning needs, and a shortage of adequately trained teachers to support children with special educational needs. During conflicts, schools are susceptible to destruction and become unsafe, forcing children to be cut off from vital school-based services, such as learning, psychosocial support and nutrition programs. Children with disabilities also face significant disparities in accessing quality healthcare. This includes challenges in early detection, accurate diagnosis and access to essential rehabilitation services and treatments. During conflicts, access to healthcare, lifesaving medications and rehabilitation services becomes ever more challenging and restrictive, exacerbating existing impairments and resulting in a spike in new disabilities due to conflict-related injuries or illnesses. Insufficient social protection programs for families of children with disabilities places immense financial strain on households, as families often have to incur high costs for care and treatment. At the same time, physical barriers significantly isolate children with disabilities, as public spaces, transport and buildings may lack accessibility features. Furthermore, children with disabilities are more likely to be abandoned or separated from their caregivers during conflicts or sudden displacement, leaving them not only physically vulnerable, but also defenseless to compounded trauma from fear, anxiety, isolation, stigma and exclusion in emergency settings. Governments can play an essential role in transforming the lives of children with disabilities. Safeguarding their well-being requires a well-designed mix of policies, programs, services and regulations, anchored by clear targets, sufficient budget allocations and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Children living with disabilities and their carers disproportionately bear the brunt of multifaceted challenges. Sara Al-Mulla Part of the solution lies in gathering reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive data on the status of children living with disabilities in order to understand their real-time needs and design high-impact programs and services accordingly. This information must then be tied to the work of government agencies — such as those responsible for disaster preparedness or disability-inclusive urban planning — to ensure a more coordinated approach. Inclusive education must be prioritized. This means investing in teacher training, designing inclusive-friendly curricula and making schools physically accessible. Schools could also be fertile grounds to improve access to sports, the arts and recreational activities for children with disabilities. In conflict zones, education efforts should include safe and accessible temporary learning spaces, remote learning options and training for teachers and humanitarian workers on how to support children with disabilities during emergencies. Psychosocial support services could help alleviate the burdens faced by children with disabilities, and their carers, and assist them in navigating the myriad challenges confronting them. This transformative service is crucial for directly addressing prevalent mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression and trauma, which can significantly impact both children and those who care for them. Caregiver stipends and flexible work policies ought to be offered to significantly lighten families' financial burdens, while deploying vocational training programs tailored for caregivers and offering support for home-based income-generating activities are other options to improve the economic self-sufficiency of households. Regulatory frameworks must protect the rights of children with disabilities to access education, healthcare, social protection and participation in society, and prevent incidents of violence, abuse or neglect, and exploitation. In tandem, robust monitoring mechanisms should be deployed to ensure that all stakeholders comply with standards and are accountable for delivering these commitments. Healthcare services are imperative for protecting children with disabilities, starting with birth registration. Early detection and diagnosis programs must be supported, while simultaneously expanding access to affordable, quality rehabilitation services and offering disability-related services within hospitals and clinics across urban and rural areas. Moreover, governments can empower community health workers to deliver essential services to children with disabilities in rural areas. For children living in conflict zones, it is vital to include disability-related healthcare within humanitarian aid delivery, ensuring emergency medical teams are trained in alleviating the many healthcare burdens faced by children with disabilities. Sustained funding is essential to ensure undisrupted access to medication and specialized therapies, in addition to the provision of nutritious meals to counter critical levels of malnutrition. Furthermore, emergency response plans should commit to safeguarding the well-being of children with disabilities. This includes tracking their locations and ensuring essential services are available for them, such as psychosocial support, meals provision, healthcare services and caregiving assistance. Moreover, it is imperative that child protection schemes are put in place so that children do not fall prey to abuse and neglect. There remains a window of opportunity to improve the lives of children with disabilities and ensure they move from exclusion to empowerment. • Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children's literature. She can be contacted at
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Readers sound off on officials' cooperation, ICE agents and the Knicks' coach
Brooklyn: As a Democratic voter who has yet to feel a real spark of excitement about any mayoral candidate, I read with interest 'Mamdani: From 'Who?' to No. 2' (June 1). While I agree in principle with democratic-socialist ideas such as taxing the rich to provide services like free child care, I just don't see Albany getting behind them (and I don't know how any New Yorker can think that a NYC household earning $1 million a year qualifies as 'rich' given the cost of living!) At this time, when social services, environmental protections and immigrant rights are under attack by the federal government, we need a mayor who will band together with the governor to fight back as a united front. That said, this concern applies to frontrunner Andrew Cuomo even more than Zohran Mamdani (photo). Cuomo had a frosty relationship with Gov. Hochul when she was his lieutenant governor, and he clearly resents that he was forced to resign and she got his job. Given his reputation as an alpha-male bully, a Cuomo mayoralty could well be plagued by power struggles between NYC and Albany, distracting our state and city from the real issues we face on the President Trump front and elsewhere. Perhaps we should start taking a closer look at the mayoral candidates still stuck in low-polling 'who?' limbo, as they may have a better shot at cultivating a constructive relationship with Hochul. Katherine Raymond Staten Island: I find myself in agreement with most of the issues Whitney Tilson is raising in the Democratic mayoral primary. However, I have never seen one commercial or received any mailing advertisements about him. The only article I read was in your paper. I think that he needs to let more people know what he stands for. When I mentioned his name to others, they all responded the same way: 'Who is she'? Phyllis O'Callaghan Manhattan: No thanks to Voicer Gene O'Brien, who knocked the Democratic candidates for mayor without offering any solution about who deserves our vote. Your advice, sir, is about as worthless as giving medicine to the dead. Thanks for nothing. Richard Simon Jersey City: Father's Day is a day dedicated to acknowledging, appreciating and celebrating the multifaceted role of fathers in our lives and in society. It is a time to reflect on the impact fathers have made to their families. This might mean remembering his sagacious guidance, unwavering support or the sacrifices he made to provide for his family. Indeed, the word 'father' has real meaning. Unfortunately, there are far too many men who fail to comprehend the enormous responsibilities that come with fatherhood. To them, I strongly recommend they use a contraceptive. There are far too many neglected and unwanted children in the world, and we don't need these men who are not mature enough to accept the role of father adding to those numbers. Kamala Jasmine Patel Effort, Pa.: Every day, ICE is locking up undocumented people, even when they show up for court. When will we see the owners of the businesses that profit from hiring undocumented labor paraded through cities in handcuffs? Kathleen Slattery Staten Island: I pledge to interfere with ICE stormtroopers persecuting helpless people. I do not recognize their authority over me or over anyone. I know that I may get killed doing this, but I will be satisfied to be one of the first people killed in our second American Civil War to reestablish our free U.S.A. constitutional democratic republic, which has been attacked and occupied by MAGA maggot domestic enemies. Gary Perl Bayside: I wonder if ICE agents hide their faces behind masks because they are ashamed of what they do. Alex S. Avitabile White Plains, N.Y.: When the economy looks good, President Trump says it's his economy. When the economy takes a downturn, Trump says it's Joe Biden's economy. Now Trump claims it's Biden's fault that the Boulder, Colo., attacker was in the country and not deported. The fact is that he was in the country on a legal work permit that expired on March 28, under Trump's tenure. It is Trump's fault that he was still in the country after his permit expired and not deported by his stormtroopers, also known as ICE. Steve Howe Brooklyn: A few weeks ago, Trump called Elon Musk a 'great patriot.' Now he claims Musk is angry because Tesla and electric vehicles have taken a hit. Musk was never a great patriot. He was always in it for himself — for money, for power and for his brand. The guy voted for Barack Obama twice, and then he's Trump's right-hand man?! Zero integrity. Peter Magnotta Manhattan: If we put Sean 'Diddy' Combs, R. Kelly, Trump and Musk in a cage match, the pay-per-view proceeds would more than eliminate the U.S. national debt. Susan Kain Ashburn, Va.: Republicans are having second thoughts about their prospects in the 2026 midterm elections, and they're watching closely to see what happens this November in Virginia. Nov. 4 of this year will be the day millions of Virginians will decide who will be their next governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, as well as General Assembly delegates. Republicans are viewing the election as the proverbial canary in the coal mine, possibly presaging the results in the major congressional races in 2026 if enough red-state voters realize that Trump's policies are failing. Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw encouraged us to reevaluate our positions when necessary: 'Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.' Mike Barrett Forest Hills: A Voicer recently asked if Trump keeps dumping on Harvard University because they didn't accept him. No! It's because they didn't accept his son Barron. He's such a petty tyrant! Dori Strassman Raleigh, N.C.: If all Christians knew about what Jesus taught his followers, could they not condemn abortion or not be true Christians? Jews and Muslims believe that Jesus is a holy person but do not believe all that he taught, yet believe many of his teachings. The Catholic Church may have been the one group that turned the election because they became more vocal. Joseph J. Rothengast Bronx: After nearly two decades of misery and losses, the Knicks finally found the road to success under the stable and consistent guidance of Tom Thibodeau. To most Knick fans, it appeared that the team at last had found its own version of the Warriors' Steve Kerr or the Spurs' Greg Popovich. But no — as always, Knicks ownership found a way to mess things up! I guess winning 50 games or more for two seasons in a row, making the playoffs four out of the past five seasons and competing in the NBA Eastern Conference finals wasn't enough to satisfy team owner Jim Dolan. This guy is perhaps the worst team owner, not only in the NBA, but in all of professional sports. What this team needs is not a new coach, but a new owner. Carlos B. Martinez Bronx: I am a substitute teacher with the NYC Department of Education. I had the opportunity recently to spend time outside with the students. I told some of them that when I was a kid, we played neighborhood-wide tag on our bikes. One fourth-grader told me that that was good because we were helping the environment and getting exercise. I told him we were just playing and having fun. When did play become a lesson? Kathleen Hughes St. Albans: To Voicer Richard Warren: What is 'simply' forced sex? Please define 'run-of-the-mill rape.' Those terms diminish the severity of the assault, along with the physical and mental trauma suffered by the victim. I believe that a rapist can be reformed, however, the penalty should be determined by a judge and jury. Stephanie Revander
