Supporting Individuals and Families Arriving from Afghanistan

In recent months, thousands of individuals and families have arrived in Canada from Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in that country. Many were Canadian citizens and permanent residents who were repatriated to Canada. Others were Afghans who had worked on behalf of the Canadian government in Afghanistan and were evacuated with their families. In addition, the Government of Canada announced that the country would welcome approximately 40,000 Afghan refugees in the coming months. 

While individuals and families may settle in other provinces, Ontario is expected to continue to play a pivotal role in the resettlement process, especially during the first few weeks when individuals quarantine.  CWICE is ready to offer support to children and their families who are arriving in Canada and require child welfare services.

It is important to note that the recent arrivals may have had very different migration experiences, and different immigration status – even within the same family. Some may be referred for child welfare services during their resettlement, while others may benefit from parenting information sessions, to learn about parenting in Canada. The needs of the families will vary substantially depending on their personal situation.

CWICE is working to identify and develop new partnerships and protocols with local, provincial and federal partners to support Afghan migrants, and stands ready to support child welfare organizations across the province through our centralized consultation centre. We offer the following services:

• Coordinating linguistic and culturally specific services for children and families;
• Consulting when organizations are managing complex child protection cases;
• Providing brief services related to individuals’/families’ access to services; and
• Sharing information on trends or issues related to the Afghan communities’ resettlement in Canada.

CWICE has extensive knowledge in coordinating provincial responses, and has partnerships already developed with key organizations in the resettlement process in Ontario.  We also have a Dari and Pashto speaking staff member.  Our approach includes emphasis on seamless service for families arriving in one region and settling in another, and encourages consistent practices across regions when families are receiving child welfare services. 

CWICE is part of Ontario’s plan for child welfare redesign and supports children and youth under 18 who are receiving services from child welfare organizations in Ontario at any stage of service. Please contact us to schedule an outreach presentation for your organization, or to consult about any questions you have while working with an Afghan family.