At L’Envol, an agency that provides help to young mothers, every day starts with the same determination: to provide a safety net for young mothers who, for one reason or another, find themselves with limited social support. At L’Envol, they are welcomed with a caring approach that gives them comfort and stability as well as a place of renewed hope and possibility despite the hardships they have faced.
About a hundred young mothers pass through the doors of L’Envol each year. Some come with a baby already in tow, while others are months along in their pregnancies, their heads filled with questions. Their daily lives are not easy, as juggling the demands of a precarious job, uncertain housing, and the pressures of parenthood or event single parenthood can seem impossible when you are under the age of 25. But all of these moms have one thing in common: an urgent need to find a different, better way to live. To help them, L’Envol offers a range of essential services, such as food assistance, a drop-in daycare, transportation, psychosocial support, and even a program to help them go back to school.
In 2023, Montérégie had Quebec’s highest birth rate for teen mothers aged 15 to 19.
These initiatives are a perfect match for the area served by the agency—Longueuil, Brossard and Saint-Hubert—, where poverty and illiteracy rates are alarming. The situation is even more worrying in Montérégie, as this region had Quebec’s highest birth rate for teen mothers aged 15 to 19 in 2023. In 2022, this region recorded 14% of births to young mothers aged 15 to 25 in Quebec, which is more than double the rate observed in the Capitale-Nationale region.
L’Envol’s unique approach lies in its commitment to include young mothers in its operations. In 2024, nearly 85 women contributed to life at the agency, which in turn strengthened their sense of empowerment and civic engagement. In addition, reserved positions on the board of directors give these women decision-making roles that let them influence the agency’s strategic orientations.
This inclusive governance has a direct impact on the agency’s innovative projects, such as its social housing program for young single mothers who are in school, which is one of its most notable successes. Created in the middle of the pandemic and inaugurated in 2023, this initiative offers a safe place and essential resources to help women continue their studies while providing a stable living environment for their children.
L’Envol recognized for its social impact
L’Envol’s commitment has indeed made a mark. In 2025, Centraide awarded it the Solidaires Social Relevance, which recognizes concrete, innovative initiatives to fight poverty and social exclusion, particularly among marginalized groups.
The Solidaires jury praised the complementarity of L’Envol’s services, which effectively meet the needs of vulnerable populations, as well as the remarkable impacts the agency has achieved. The jury also appreciated the significant representation of women on its board of directors and the volunteer involvement of young mothers. Special note was taken of the agency’s social housing project for young mothers, which highlights its commitment to long-term solutions.
1 out of 5 people receives our help.
5 out of 5 people benefit from it.
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