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Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS)

If your child has just started — or is about to start — at a school in Northern Ontario, you don't have to figure the system out alone. Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) are free, confidential helpers based right inside the school, and they exist to make sure newcomer families land softly.

What is SWIS?

Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) is a national program funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Settlement agencies hire settlement workers and place them physically in partner schools — elementary and secondary — so newcomer parents and students can get help in the same building where they already spend their day.

SWIS workers are trained settlement professionals (often newcomers themselves) who speak multiple languages and understand both the Canadian school system and the everyday challenges of moving to a new country. The service is free, confidential, and separate from teaching staff — what you tell a SWIS worker is not put into your child's school file.

Who can use SWIS?

To use IRCC-funded settlement services, including SWIS, you usually need to be one of the following:

  • Permanent resident of Canada
  • Convention refugee or protected person
  • A person who has received a positive permanent residence selection decision in Canada
  • Canadian citizen who naturalized within the last five years (some agencies extend this further)

Most school boards do not refuse help to families in other situations (study permit, work permit, refugee claimant). Even when SWIS itself is restricted, schools can still connect you with an open-eligibility settlement program. If you are unsure, ask — no one will turn your child away from learning.

What SWIS workers actually do

School registration support Help with paperwork, immunisation records, transcripts from your home country, and finding the right grade.
ESL / ELL placement Coordinate language assessments and English-as-a-second-language placement with the board's reception centre.
Navigating Canadian school culture Explain report cards, parent-teacher interviews, IEPs, school council, the lunch system, snow days, field trips, and the role of teachers.
Referrals to community supports Connect families to housing, healthcare, food banks, mental health, after-school programs, recreation, and legal help.
Group sessions and orientations Newcomer parent nights, bus-route walks, "your child's first Canadian winter" sessions, homework clubs, and youth groups.
Advocacy and translation Sit in on meetings between the family and the school, arrange interpretation, and help parents make their voice heard.

SWIS is not the principal, the teacher, or a school employee. The worker is hired by a community settlement agency and only happens to be based at the school. They work for you — the family — and they keep your conversations private.

SWIS in Northern Ontario — where to find a worker

SWIS partnerships in the North are delivered by the regional settlement agencies. Below is what each agency currently runs. Programs and partner boards do shift year to year — call ahead or ask at your school's main office to be referred.

Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario

The Thunder Bay Multicultural Association (TBMA) delivers SWIS in partnership with Lakehead Public Schools and the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board. Settlement workers visit schools across the city and surrounding communities.

Reach TBMA at 807-345-0551 (toll-free 1-866-831-1144), 17 Court Street North, Thunder Bay.

Greater Sudbury

The Sudbury Multicultural & Folk Arts Association (SMFAA) partners with the Rainbow District School Board and the Sudbury Catholic District School Board to provide SWIS support in elementary and secondary schools across Greater Sudbury.

Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma

The Sault Community Career Centre runs SWIS through partnerships with the local public and Catholic boards in Algoma. Workers also support secondary students adjusting to high school.

Nipissing, Parry Sound, Timiskaming, and Cochrane

Across these four districts, SWIS is delivered by the Northeastern Ontario Multicultural Centre (NOMC) in partnership with Near North District School Board, Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board (ALCDSB), and District School Board Ontario North East (DSB ONE). NOMC settlement workers visit schools in North Bay, Parry Sound, Timiskaming Shores, Kirkland Lake, and Timmins.

Contact NOMC headquarters at 705-495-8931 or toll-free 1-877-495-8931, or email info@neomc.ca. Satellite offices: Timmins 705-221-8622, Kirkland Lake 705-493-1165, Temiskaming Shores 705-492-5665, Parry Sound 705-492-2776.

Multicultural Liaison workers in secondary schools

Some boards employ Multicultural Liaison Officers or similar roles in their high schools to support international students, refugee youth, and recently arrived newcomer teens. Ask at the high school guidance office or call your local settlement agency to be referred.

How to ask for a SWIS worker

  1. At the school's main office, ask: "Does this school have a settlement worker, or someone who supports newcomer families?"
  2. If not, ask the secretary to refer you to the SWIS partner agency for the board.
  3. If you'd rather skip the school, call the regional agency directly (numbers above) and ask for SWIS intake.
  4. Bring your child's documents to the first meeting: passport, immigration paper, school records from home, immunisation booklet.

What it costs

Nothing. SWIS is fully funded by IRCC. Interpretation, group sessions, paperwork help, and referrals are all provided at no charge. Workers will never ask for payment, and no service depends on you donating, joining a group, or attending a particular church.

Common questions

  • "Will the school treat my child differently if I use SWIS?" No. SWIS conversations are private and not part of the school file.
  • "Can my teenager talk to a SWIS worker without me?" Often yes — many secondary schools host newcomer youth groups. Ask the worker how they handle confidentiality with minors.
  • "My English is fine, do I still qualify?" Yes. SWIS supports settlement, not just language — paperwork, school culture, post-secondary planning, mental health referrals, and more.
  • "My family arrived more than five years ago." Some services are still open to you, especially through provincially-funded programs. Call your local agency and ask — don't assume the door is closed.

Related guides

DON'T LIVE NEAR A SETTLEMENT OFFICE?

Call the regional org for your area.

Settlement workers will register you by phone or video and help you find local supports. There's no requirement to live in the same town as the office — these services are funded for all of Northern Ontario.

See all settlement services →

Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Settlement Program; settlement.org — SWIS overview; partner agencies NOMC, TBMA, SMFAA, and Sault Community Career Centre. Confirm school-by-school SWIS placement directly with the agency before relying on a posted location — partnerships shift annually.

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