Family orientation and school enrollment

Youth Settlement Services (YSS) team members carry out an initial registration and needs assessment with all new immigrant families who have school-aged children. This helps to determine students' needs and requirements for school-related matters. The process involves an introduction to IRSA's Online Guide for Newcomers to Canada, as well as collecting clients' information, setting up language assessments for students with the Department of Education, support for parents in the process of school enrollment, and arranging interpreter services for parents and children when needed.

This process also includes reaching out to immigrant families who have children entering kindergarten and guiding them through the course of registration.

An information session on the public school system is delivered to every new newcomer family in order to provide orientation to key school-related information such as policies, discipline procedures, school buses, school books, lunchtime food, rough weather and school closure notifications, and so on. Interpretation services are provided for these sessions as needed.