Celebrating 27 Years of Welcoming Families to Scarborough

For over a quarter of a century, we have been turning the unfamiliar into a place where newcomer families truly belong. Funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), we work right inside the heart of the community, our schools, to ensure every student and family has the foundation to thrive.

Who We Are

As part of Catholic Crosscultural Services (CCS), our team of 17 Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) offers support in over 15 languages. Delivered across Toronto alongside trusted lead agencies (TNO, CICS, CultureLink, and NYCH), we combine personal experience, cultural empathy, and professional guidance to help newcomer families thrive.

What We Do

We bridge the gap between home, school, and country. By delivering over 10,000 services every year, we provide immediate settlement support, guide parents through the Ontario school system, connect families to free and accessible community services, and host community programs. Through a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), we collaborate closely with school staff and the TDSB Parent, Caregiver, and Community Engagement Office to build inclusive, caring school communities.

Our Scope:

We focus on settlement, school integration, and community connection. While we walk families through school resources and community services, we do not handle core academic instruction or internal school administration.

Where We Are

You can find us right in your neighborhood. We operate across 193 schools in Scarborough, including 147 TDSB schools and our dedicated hubs at Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute and R.H. King Academy, making our services accessible to all Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) schools, alongside key community mainstays like Toronto Public Library (TPL).

193

Schools Across
Scarborough

Real community growth begins at home and in the classroom. When we support newcomer families, everyone rises.

Our team

Our multilingual team of 17 Settlement Workers are based directly inside Scarborough schools. Each worker brings lived experience, language fluency, and deep community knowledge.