Exploring New Possibilities Through Employment Navigator

When Radha first connected with YWCA BC, thinking about the future felt impossible. As a single mother of three, including a child with cerebral palsy, she was navigating appointments, counselling, legal proceedings and the day-to-day demands of caring for her family. There was little room left to think about what came next. 

More than three years later, Radha says she is in a different place. Her circumstances have not necessarily become easier, but she has become stronger, more confident and, most importantly, able to imagine a future for herself and her family. 

Over the years, she has connected with several YWCA programs and staff who have helped her access resources, learn new skills and build a community around her. She learned more about navigating life with a child with a disability, including financial options, resources and advocacy. 

Radha also found community through the YWCA’s Single Mothers’ Support Group. Connecting with other moms who understood the realities of parenting alone, including the paperwork, appointments and advocacy that can come with raising a child with a disability, helped her feel less alone. 

“You never stop learning. You never stop growing and you never stop needing people who inspire you,” she says. 

The practical support mattered, too. Child care provided during the group gave her the space to participate and connect with other mothers without having to worry about caring for her children at the same time. 

“I was stress free talking to other moms,” Radha recalls. 

That growing sense of support also became an important part of her journey toward employment. 

YWCA Employment Navigator: Finding a path forward 

When Radha connected with the YWCA Employment Navigator Program, she knew she wanted to work toward financial independence. She wanted to find a job and explore what career options might make sense for her life. 

But returning to work was not as simple as applying for a position. 

With a busy schedule filled with appointments, counselling and family responsibilities, she did not have the capacity to pursue full-time employment right away. She also had a background in human resources, but she wasn't sure whether returning to that career was the right path for her anymore. 

For Radha, YWCA Employment Navigator became an opportunity to explore those questions. 

The program supports mothers parenting alone at both the pre-employment and employment stages, helping them access resources and education while developing the tools and skills they need to overcome barriers and work toward financial independence. 

Through the Employment Navigator and other employment-focused opportunities, she began exploring different possibilities for her future. She participated in Women in Leadership programming, took part in a vision-boarding session and learned about entrepreneurship and networking through YWCA PowerUp. 

The experiences gave her opportunities to think about more than simply finding a job. She began reflecting on her values, how they had changed and what she would want those values to look like in her future work. 

“To think about a vision is hopeful,” she says. 

She also learned that there are many resources and opportunities available to her, something she says has made a difference both professionally and personally. 

“The more I know, the better I can get.” 

When she looks back on her first days with the Single Moms Group, she remembers how emotional that time was. She jokingly called it her “crying group.” 

Over time, though, the tears became less frequent. 

At first, she was trying to be strong. After six months, she felt more comfortable. After a year, she says she began to feel stronger and happier. 

“I don't feel so broken,” she says. “Definitely stronger, more confident, less alone.” 

The stories of other mothers in the group also gave her something she needed at the time: hope. 

Seeing other women navigate challenges and build lives for themselves showed her what could be possible. And as she became more confident herself, she began building her own community. 

“I’ve been able to build my own community and friends.” 

That sense of connection has extended beyond employment programming. Support from other YWCA programs has helped ease some of the pressures of raising a family on her own. Through Presents of Peace, for example, Radha says her family's holiday season has been changed year after year. 

For her, these supports are connected. When some of the immediate pressures are lifted, there is more room to think about the future. 

Today, she is not actively looking for work. With ongoing challenges in her personal life, employment is not her immediate priority. 

But she is no longer stuck in the past. 

“I now set goals confidently,” Radha says. 

“When I first started, I didn’t even think about the future. I was stuck in the past. I was finally able to take ownership over my life and I have people cheering me on to do that.” 

That is part of what Employment Navigator has made possible. The program has given her space to explore her options, understand herself and her goals, build skills and connections and learn about resources that can support her when she is ready to take her next step. 

Her path forward may not look exactly as she once imagined. She is learning to accept that too. 

“I’ve learned my path and accepting my path is to be a good mom.” 

And when she thinks about the support that has helped her get here, she comes back to the people who have been beside her along the way. 

“I never had space to lose hope. I always had someone to pick me up.” 

For mothers parenting alone, the path toward financial independence does not always begin with a job application. Sometimes, it begins with having someone help you see what is possible, the resources to take the next step and a community cheering you on. 

To learn more about the YWCA Employment Navigator program, visit the program page.   

Thanks to BMO, Coast Capital and Scotiabank for making stories like this one possible.