Ontarians unclear on how to access social support during pandemic, survey finds
Posted October 13, 2020 12:03 pm.
Ontarians in need of social support during the COVID-19 pandemic may not know where to seek help for themselves or their neighbours, according to a new study.
Forty-two per cent of 1,000 Ontarians surveyed at the beginning of last month said they needed additional help from social service providers during the pandemic.
Adult mental health concerns and financial stress were the most commonly cited needs, according to findings released today by the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies.
The organization commissioned the study from the Angus Reid Group to get a clearer picture of the pandemic’s impact on Ontario families.
The polling industry’s professional body, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population
Association spokesman Sean McGrady said it was not a surprise that Ontarians need additional support during the pandemic, but he noted “concerning” percentages of people who were unaware of how to access services.
