Minutes of the SWISAC meeting
Held at Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Settlement
Directorate Office
June 19, 2007
Participants:
Natalie Dzubina, Settlement Officer
Colette Snyder, CIC
Eleanor Minuk, Ministry of Education
Peter Dorfman, SWIS
Jasminka Klacar, SEPWR
Jorge Barahona, Culture Link
Richard Lecours, CIC
Jean-Francois Picher, French School Boards (CEPEO)
Constantine Dmitriev, MCYS
Lucy Bacchet, YCDSB
Fawzia Ratanshi, United Way of Greater Toronto
Julie Mathien, City of Toronto
Elizabeth Glass, TPL
Debbie Douglas, OCASI
Afua Marcus, OCASI (recorder)
Regrets: Michelle Munroe
Guests: Nan Froman, Pasty Aldana - Groundwood Books
Rukhsana Khan – author
Introductions and Welcome/Goodbye:
Welcome - Eleanor Minuk, Ontario Ministry of Education
Goodbye – Elizabeth Coelho, Ontario Ministry of Education
Constantine Dmitriev, Ministry of Child & Youth Services
Review of April 24th Minutes, Matters Arising
Amendments: Community and Ontario Centers
Corrections: YCDSB - SWIS is an elementary and secondary school based model and a
referral model. TNO - SEPT teams are now the biggest programs in TNO.
Matters Arising
Colette and Michelle had a conference call regarding the interpretation in the schools
issue which was discussed at the April 24th meeting. During the meeting it was
established that the TDSB’s budget is not adequate enough to meet the present needs.
Colette will speak to COIA regarding funding for interpretation.
Updates:
Richard Lecours, CIC
The LINC agreements are in the process of being distributed.
The Enhanced Language Training program is in the process of establishing placements
which are profession specific.
The HOST website will be launched soon. There is currently a call for proposals which
is Toronto specific that is seeking more models for Francophone youth.
In the ISAP program, a call for proposals regarding job search workshops, and newcomer
information services in Toronto and Mississauga has been posted. A call seeking new
designs for youth services will go out to agencies in October.
The ISAP call for proposals of pre-qualified agencies has been distributed and can also be
found on Settlement.org. New services are welcome and the invitations for proposals
will be extended to other agencies and institutions. The occasional child minding
program has rectified the issues around liability and insurance thorough a new program.
In the area of capacity building, there is a marked need for specific programs in
communities. The increased budget has enabled agencies to address this issue by
increasing staff and creating capacity building programs to focus on with all of the
elements.
The regionalization process is in full swing, by September the York office will be open
and the Peel office will be open in November. The files will be reassigned and workers
will have 6 months to acclimatize themselves to the region.
Library settlement project which has been created with SWIS are operating in Toronto,
Hamilton, and Ottawa. Evaluations will be conducted in August and once the results are
reviewed, the project will take place in the fall.
CEPEO, Jean-Francois Picher
Four summer programs, two in the public school and 2 in the Catholic school board, have
been established in Ottawa. To-date the registration is not as successful as it was last
summer. It was felt that the best place to attract students is at the public library.
The summer camp program which partners with Patro in Ottawa, is expecting 160
students.
The program that is done in collaboration with the Regroupement ethno culturel des
parents francophones de l’Ontario (le REPFO) has attracted a high number of minority
elementary school students to the after-school programs.
Presently the Public and Catholic school board each have 4 community and school
workers working with newcomers. The challenge is to have all of the people work
together regarding settlement issues and not have overlaps.
The next meeting of the CLIC intended to meet and discuss a plan for Francophone
students.
Constantine Dmitriev, Ontario Ministry of Children & Youth Services
The report regarding the lead in water pipes was mentioned.
Dmitriev announced that he will be transferring to the Ministry of Intergovernmental
Affairs in July.
Lucy Bacchet, YCDSB
The board is in the process of planning for summer programs which includes
investigating the number of possible enrolments for secondary ESL programs at the
various sites. The Reception Centre staff is planning for coordination of on-site
settlement services through SEPYR for the high intake summer period. The board
(schools) would like to see a tracking/feedback system established through SEPYR
(SWIS) so as to be informed on an ongoing basis as to which newcomer families have
been contacted and which settlement worker has assessed them and provided support.
Fawzia Ratanshi, United Way of Greater Toronto
The United Way’s Newcomers Granting program is a 1 or 2 year granting program with a
$50,000 budget. The deadline for the grant was December 2006, 80 applicants submitted
proposals and 13 applicants were administered funds.
UW is developing a customized capacity building program which will be a new grant for
non-members as well as member agencies.
A series of learning session are being developed for UW staff to discuss strategic
planning and how UW staff can connect agencies with potential funding and assist in
creating various partnerships.
The committee will be notified regarding the 2007 process.
Eleanor Minuk, Ministry of Education
Two Steps for English Proficiency (STEP) validation studies will take place in the
schools this fall.
Elizabeth Coelho is retiring at the end of June 2007.
Julie Mathien, City of Toronto
The City is moving forward with the memorandum of understanding.
Grant proposals which involve a corporate research oriented model and a language
training and settlement model are being created. A working group will be meeting to put
together a work plan. Project proposals which are submitted should fit under the
priorities which will be recognized through the work group.
Municipalities are preparing to create immigration portals.
The Don’t Ask Don’t Tell – No One is Illegal process has been clearly defined in the
various departments. Recreation provides fee assistance without asking for status.
Ontario Works will ask for status; if the individual remains in the office the worker will
contact CIC to discuss status. Toronto Community Social Housing requests status, if the
individual does not have status they can leave the office without CIC being contacted.
For childcare subsidy, a T4 for proof of employment is needed.
The City did not see the need to create a policy. Posters will go up in public sites listing
the services which will be provided then stating the documentation that is needed.
City staff will be informed by letter of the importance of keeping confidential
information which they obtain from clients. New staff will be informed of this
expectation during their training.
Jasminka Klacar, SEPWR
Transition to summer programs for youth and parents are in the process.
SEPUR is looking for funding to provide intensive leadership programs for parents who
will be taught how to for trustee and school council, along with other community minded
endeavours.
Jorge Barahona, Culture Link
There was a training session for newcomer parents this month.
Summer school program are being organized.
The SEPT Administrator is being trained and the SWIS Worker along with the library
program training took place.
On June 1st there was an orientation session for the library program, almost 100 people
attend. Some programs are full and other clusters are working on the promotional
material to fill their programs.
Six high school are involved in the NOW program. The programs are full of great
expectations and Jorge acknowledged Peter’s good work.
Debbie Douglas, OCASI
OCASI”s board and staff retreat was successful.
CCR meet with CIC to discuss selection issues related to government sponsored refugees.
It is important to receive advanced information regarding groups in order to look at needs
around school board, housing, and training.
Peter Dorfman
The NOW summer pilot posters which will be going up 8 sites, were presented to
committee.
The newcomer youth who will be participating in the program will work mainly with
peers who were once newcomers. Stakeholders who met May 27th developed the
activities. Peter showed the committee an example of one of the tasks, which was a
passport, which included various destinations in the school that will help the youth,
become familiar with the building. Visits to libraries and community centres will be a
part of the program. Eight sites have been delegated, six are in Toronto, one is in Peel
and one in Hamilton. The challenge will be locate the newcomers who have not arrived
in the country to-date. The promotion cannot be done on a wide scale because the
program is in a limited number of schools. Settlement workers will outreach to new
families through the program and a strong link should be created with peers and teachers.
There will be an evaluation process by an agency. The report will be provided in the fall.
The reception centres will play an important role in assessing and recommending students
to this program.
British Columbia now has a SWIS program. The schools will manage the funds and
contract the settlement workers. The program should be functioning this fall.
Groundwood Books - Nan Froman, Pasty Aldana (Groundwood Books), Rukhsana
Khan (author).
Pasty Aldana, Nan Froman from Groundwood Books and author Rukhsana Khan came to
discuss the idea of creating a book which would be distributed primarily at the reception
centre. The reception centre group felt a book which could provide orientation for a
young child could fulfill some of the needs of young newcomers and their families.
Groundwood is a 30 year old publishing house which has provided high quality
multicultural literature which has appealed to diverse audiences over the years.
Rukhsana Khan is an award winning author whose book The Rose in My Carpets tells the
true story of a young Afghan refugee.
The committee, guests discussed the age group which they wanted to reach, which was
varied due to the fact that the child might not speak English, nor the parent. The story
should be told in a simple language with high quality of story telling.
The Newcomer Parent Video was distributed to all who were present.
Meeting Adjourned.
Next Meeting: Friday, September 28, 2007
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.