Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS)

The Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) Program is a school-based settlement service that has welcomed and integrated newcomers in schools and communities since 2007. The Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) Program helps immigrant, refugee, and eligible Temporary Resident students and their families to meet their immediate and ongoing settlement needs, after they arrive in Canada.

MOSAIC is proud to partner with New Westminster Schools by providing settlement services to eligible students and families in this community. The Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program facilitates the adjustment, adaptation, and integration of newcomer families and their children during their initial years in Canada.

SWIS multilingual settlement workers provide information on available services in the community and conduct workshops, community referrals, and service linking to local resources. In addition, SWIS workers can support ongoing communication between newcomer parents and school staff, by providing translation and other language support in school meetings and parent-teacher interview sessions, as one part of our work to support children’s learning needs.

The SWIS team assists newcomer parents and their children in adjusting to Canadian educational rules and practices. SWIS workers not only connects families to schools, communities, and other government service providers, but also aim to empower students and families to become self-sufficient in their new homes in Canada.

SWIS services will be provided on an individual, family, and group basis. Currently, SWIS workers can provide support in the following home languages: Farsi, Dari, Pashto, Hindi, Punjabi, Armenian, Spanish, French, Turkish, Amharic, Tigrinya, and Tagalog. You can find out more about the team here: https://newwestschools.ca/programs-services/inclusive-education/settlement-workers-in-schools/swis-team/

Support in other languages is available with interpretation.


Enrolling in the program

 You can enroll in the SWIS Program in two ways: 

Once you’ve expressed your interest in working with the SWIS Program, a settlement worker will reach out to the newcomer family to help the student(s) and family adjust to school(s), community, and their new life in Canada.


How settlement workers can support you and your family

We can support you in filling out forms of any kind, like for:

  • Social Insurance
  • Child Tax Benefits
  • Medical Services Plan
  • LINC Registration
  • Affordable Child Care Benefits
  • BC Housing /Rental Assistance
  • And many others

We offer information workshops on a range of topics, including:

  • Post-Secondary Education
  • Transition to Middle School
  • Language Support Services
  • Banking in Canada
  • Citizenship and Immigration
  • Health Services
  • Subsidized Housing
  • Employment Services
  • Legal Issues
  • Seniors Benefits
  • Financial Literacy
  • Transit Information
  • Income Assistance

We can provide referrals and service linking to resources, such as:

  • Parks and Recreation
  • LINC/ELL Support Services
  • Adult Continuing Education
  • Public Libraries
  • Places of Worship
  • Youth Services
  • Employment Services
  • Legal Information & Services
  • Parenting and Preschool Programs
  • Low Cost/Free Groceries & Food Resources
  • Family & Counselling Services

Other programs & services we can connect you with:

  • Volunteer Opportunities and Community Involvement
  • Youth Peer Buddy Program
  • English Conversation Circles
  • Lunch Clubs & After School Programs
  • Youth Field trips
  • Youth Pre- Employment Program
  • Youth Sports
SWIS Brochure(2 Pages) Download the brochure here.


More information on MOSAIC’s Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) Program for newcomer families with children enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 12 can be found on the MOSAIC website.