There is a paucity of research on the economic integration of African immigrant youths in the smaller Canadian urban regions. This cross-sectional mixed-methods study examines factors shaping employment outcomes among African-born youths aged 18-30 years in Saskatchewan. Findings from 203 participants show that 48.3% reported difficulty finding work in their field, while 37.4% struggled to meet basic needs. Key barriers included discrimination, unrecognized credentials, and limited social networks. Although higher education and longer residence improved outcomes, they did not eliminate structural challenges. Local experience, language proficiency, and networking enabled integration. The study highlights the need for context-specific policies to address systemic barriers.

Educators are legally mandated to identify and report suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN). Despite this responsibility, reporting practices continue to vary, and educators often under-report or over-report racialized children and families in child welfare systems. This study explored educators' perspectives and experiences in identifying and reporting suspected CAN in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. Ten educators from Ontario (n = 4) and British Columbia (n = 6) participated. All were educators working in elementary, middle, or high school settings. A qualitative design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and managed using NVivo software. Data were thematically analyzed, guided by the Social Ecological Model. Educators' decisions to report suspected child abuse and neglect were influenced by five interconnected themes. These included; educators' misconceptions of cultural and religious practices, scrutiny around racialized families and geography, educators’ perceptions of parental behavior and differential application of empathy, fear of reporting and burden of responsibility, and the lack of follow-up by child welfare services. These factors interacted across individual, interpersonal, community, and institutional levels, contributing to uncertainty and variability in reporting suspected CAN. Mandatory reporting is a multi-level process extending beyond legal compliance. Findings highlight the need for cultural responsiveness, anti-bias and equity-based awareness for educators alongside stronger interagency collaboration. Promoting fairness and cultural responsiveness in child welfare requires policy frameworks that move away from punitive, surveillance-based approaches and toward supportive, community-based models.

This article reports on findings from a qualitative study that explored the perspectives of child welfare workers and managers on race and racism as experienced by their newcomer families in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilized critical race theory lens that allowed for an in-depth intersectional analysis of the subtle manifestations of racism in institutions. Findings demonstrate racism faced by newcomer families in: the child welfare system in specific areas (referrals, investigations, assessments); and racism in other services outside of child welfare that increased the marginalization of this group. A critical race lens provides insights into addressing issues raised by staff.

Background Extant literature confirms that when youth are removed from their families, they experience disrupted relationships with parents, siblings, and friends and disconnections from their neighbourhoods and schools. Objective The study objective was to explore the changes in Black youth's family relationships while in care. Participants and setting We completed the study in partnership with one child welfare service in Southwestern Ontario. This agency was an ideal setting because of its demonstrated commitment to the creation of culturally responsive processes and spaces, with an established collaborative relationship with African, Black, and Caribbean (ACB) communities. Methods This qualitative study garnered critical insights from 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 13 participants comprised of children service staff, caregivers, and youth (14 years and older) on services that support Black children's wellbeing with respect to family relationships. Findings The study showed youth expressing different feelings regarding family relationships – some revealed love for their mothers while others struggled with how to manage the ongoing contacts with their families. Child welfare staff and caregivers indicated awareness that it is traumatic for children and youth to come into care. They also recognized that empathy was not enough and made several suggestions to improve services for youth. Conclusions With respect to family relationships, findings led to the following two suggested insights for practitioners to consider about its services while supporting Black youth-in-care: 1) the need to integrate a race-informed trauma lens towards Black youth-in-care and their families; and 2) building stronger relationships with youths’ biological families.

This article describes newcomer women’s experiences navigating help-seeking and accessing formal services and supports after experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) in two cities in Saskatchewan, Canada. Fifteen newcomer women who migrated to Canada from twelve different countries participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Findings relating to newcomer women’s experiences of help-seeking after experiencing IPV include a lack of awareness of domestic violence services; shelter waitlists and length of stay; interactions with police; challenges with legal assistance; negotiating parenting time with abusive partners; navigating childcare; child protection services; poverty and social assistance; and language, interpretation, and challenges working with multiple service providers. Implications for policy and practice to help service providers enhance support to newcomer women who have experienced IPV are discussed.

The study sought to engage adolescents in Uganda to learn about their perspectives on the factors that enable or hinder their flourishing. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Mpigi and Mayuge districts in Uganda, using a survey with adolescent boys and girls aged 14-19 years. The survey examined seven aspects of human flourishing including: knowledge/education, emotional health, physical health, physical safety, financial security, social connectedness, and spiritual practices. The interpretation of scores and correlations was based on established classifications. Findings indicated that education, family, and community support were highly valued among participants. Among the respondents, eighty-five percent reported awareness of their right to education, and 79% expressed satisfaction with their access to primary or secondary education. Most respondents felt good about their emotional health (84%). Participants felt confidence in their decision-making abilities. Though the majority of respondents recognized the importance of a balanced diet to their own physical health, less than half reported being able to make decisions about what they eat. Most respondents reported feeling safe at home, with no significant differences by gender or region. Spiritual connectedness was also strong. Many reported that spirituality brought a sense of purpose, gratitude to their lives, and inner peace and harmony. Strong spiritual values within the communities were identified as important to their wellbeing; approximately seventy-seven percent expressed comfort in speaking to their faith leaders about their problems. Financial insecurity emerged as a significant obstacle (60%), however, eighty-four (84%) expressed confidence in finding work they liked, and most (88%) believed their future work would support them financially. Findings represent a first step in gaining a cross-cultural perspective of adolescent views on human flourishing. Findings may have implications for policymakers and decision-makers seeking to understand human flourishing among adolescents, and strategies to enable their flourishing.### Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.### Funding StatementFunding for this research was provided by Templeton foundation Canada and University of Saskatchewan### Author DeclarationsI confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.YesThe details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:The University of Saskatchewan Behavioral Research Ethics Board (Beh-REB)I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.YesI understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).YesI have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.YesWe have data protected and in store that can be available when requested

This qualitative study explores factors contributing to refugees’ resilience in Regina, Saskatchewan. It aims to add to the emerging body of Canadian literature on refugees’ strengths and experiences as they navigate resettlement in smaller urban centres. Data were collected from three focus groups that explored the experiences of 15 people from seven countries who had settled in Saskatchewan. Findings show common patterns that contributed to resilience for refugees, including pursuits of Canadian education, employment, social networks, and personal qualities. Conclusions indicate that protective factors (i.e., personal characteristics, social supports and networks, starting over in education and employment) that facilitated resilience for participants interacted and worked together to help them overcome adversity during settlement.

We explore approaches, challenges, solutions, and recommendations offered by child welfare workers in Canada on remote communication with children/youth regarding safety and on managing parent-child access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-seven child welfare workers and foster care providers participated in this survey. About 94% of the workers used virtual video communication alongside other modalities. Privacy concerns were common in children and youth contacts. Visitation scheduling challenges, digital inequality, and fear of contagion were commonly encountered by foster care providers. Regular virtual check-ins by child welfare workers, training on use of online meeting tools, and subsidizing technological costs were notable recommendations.

It is well established in the literature that Black children and youth-in-care are disproportionately overrepresented in Ontario’s child welfare system. Additionally, Black youth experience structural challenges with the education system. However, there is a lack of Canadian literature that explores the educational experiences of Black children while receiving child welfare services. This study examined the reports of youth, child welfare staff, and caregivers on the educational experiences of Black youth-in-care. In-depth interviews exploring the educational needs and goals of Black youth-in-care were conducted with 13 participants (3 child welfare staff, 6 caregivers, and 4 youth). Findings highlight that Black youth-in-care experience labelling, hypervisibility and invisibility, and harassment and bullying, all of which had an impact on how they navigated the school system, and contributed to internalized stereotypes and feelings of isolation and unbelonging. The findings also identify strategies for innovation and promoting the educational success of Black youth-in-care.

BackgroundNewcomer families with child welfare involvement face complex COVID-19 related challenges that are still less understood within the Canadian context.ObjectiveThis study explored views on the changes in child safety reporting and interventions with newcomer families during the COVID-19 pandemic.Participantsand Setting: Participants were 63 child welfare workers from Children's Aid Societies across Ontario, Canada.MethodsUsing cross tabulations with Fisher exact tests, the analysis draws on survey data from the second wave of the pandemic to test for significance of differences in areas of child safety reporting, interventions with newcomer families, and available supports across urban and urban/rural settings.FindingsParents' emotional instability and substance use (86%), domestic/adult conflict (85.6%), and child emotional harm (66.3%) were the top child safety issues with most increased reporting during the pandemic. Except for domestic/adult conflict, there were no differences in the rating of the six identified areas of child abuse across newcomer/racialized caseloads in different geographical settings. Increasingly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, workers were intervening with newcomer families by ‘connecting them with community agencies or services’ (51.8%), and ‘reaching out to extended family and other community members to support parents’ (44.6%). Mental health supports (68.4%), family access (66.7%), and childcare (65.9%) were the least accessible services.ConclusionA closer examination of the reported child safety incidents shows that child emotional harm was on the rise and that child sexual and physical abuse were underreported. Unidentified cases of child abuse during the pandemic posed barriers to help-seeking and resulted in limited or no supports for victims.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of child welfare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic through virtual interviews, focusing on the challenges and adaptations in their work and support systems. Participants reported significant difficulties in maintaining a healthy work–life balance, heightened stress, anxiety, and increased workloads due to sick leaves and burnout. This study highlights the dual role of technology as both a stressor and a crucial tool, with rapid integration posing challenges while also enabling continued support for children and families. Despite these challenges, workers demonstrated resilience and creativity, developing innovative solutions to navigate the new landscape. The findings underscore the importance of robust support systems, clear communication, and equitable access to technology. This study suggests integrating lessons learned during the pandemic into future child welfare practices to enhance resilience and adaptability in the face of future crises.

This study adds to a small body of Canadian literature investigating the ways that newcomer women experience, and are impacted by, intimate partner violence (IPV). The study involved qualitative interviews with 15 newcomer women who migrated to Saskatchewan, Canada, from 12 different countries. These findings provide insight into participants' complex lived experiences and illustrate how women's status as newcomers intersected with their experiences of IPV. As well as abuse related to language ability and immigration status, participants in our study described their experiences of physical; sexual; emotional; psychological; economic; and legal abuse; as well as coercive control; isolation; surveillance, stalking, and harassment while in the relationship and after separation; challenges with shared parenting; and the imposition of patriarchal values. Perpetrators of IPV maintained control by intentionally isolating survivors, and participants were also isolated due to their status as a newcomer and their limited English-language ability and social connections.

This qualitative study adds to research on the experiences of professionals who support newcomer women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Findings from seven focus groups with 32 service providers from newcomer-serving and domestic violence agencies in Saskatchewan, Canada, include newcomer survivors' experiences of isolation, the impact of IPV on newcomer children, and challenges and opportunities for supporting newcomer women who have experienced IPV. Service providers described gaps in existing services and the need for additional services; they also described ways of working effectively with newcomer women survivors of IPV and their children. Professionals indicated the importance of a trauma-and-violence-informed, survivor-centered approach and highlighted the need for compassion, empathy, and patience when working with newcomer women who have experienced IPV. This article includes recommendations for service providers, including IPV shelters and services and newcomer-serving agencies, to improve service to newcomer survivors.

Using a socio-ecological framework, this qualitative study provides an understanding of the context of child welfare workers' worries and concerns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is part of a larger mixed-methods research project that included qualitative interviews with child welfare workers to explore approaches to child welfare services and child safety interventions for newcomer families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main question that frames this study is how Ontario workers and managers managed their worries and concerns about the pandemic. The participants we interviewed talked about their personal safety and navigating modified work during the pandemic. The fear of getting sick with COVID-19 when visiting multiple families resulted in stress and anxiety for some workers. For others, work modifications resulting from the pandemic created challenges in terms of childcare, increased isolation due to working remotely, case assignments/planning, and blurred family/work boundaries. Child welfare workers in Ontario felt excluded from the provincial designation "essential service workers” during the pandemic, making them feel that their work was unacknowledged by the government. Despite this lack of a designation, we centralize the issue of essential work in our analysis to underscore the challenges faced by child welfare workers and the potential supports that can be provided in and out of their work settings as the pandemic continues to unfold.

In Canada, newcomers are often faced with many challenges when integrating into the labour market. This study examined the labour market integration experiences of newcomers in Regina, Saskatchewan. Data were collected using a structured survey which was made available in several languages. A total of 305 (n = 305) newcomers participated in this study. It was found that length of stay in Regina, level of education, having children and lack of access to transportation had a strong relationship with newcomers' labour market integration (p < 0.01). Specific barriers that were found to affect newcomers included language, access to a vehicle, lack of Canadian work experience and Canadian credentials. These challenges have substantial implications for the well-being of newcomers and their contribution to the Canadian economy. It is recommended that resettlement agencies develop informed strategies and programmes that target these barriers to enhance the economic integration of newcomers in smaller cities in Canada.

ABSTRACTThis study adopts Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework to examine family engagement of Syrian refugee background parents with their children’s elementary schooling during their migration journeys across pre-migration, transit, and resettlement contexts. Utilizing interpretive inquiry, interview and artistic data were collected from eight children and their parents over a 14-month period, then analyzed within the hermeneutic circle. The findings elucidate the various forms of capital that the families brought to their engagement with schools across contexts, suggesting that understanding familial values and beliefs is central to building positive, reciprocal relationships. AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank our research participants for welcoming us into their homes and sharing their experiences with us. This work was supported by a grant from the McDowell Foundation.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the McDowell Foundation.Notes on contributorsChristine MassingDr. Christine Massing is an associate professor in early childhood education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina. Christine’s research expertise is in the fields of immigrant/refugee studies and early childhood education. More specifically, her recent projects have explored newcomers’ experiences accessing child care and educational opportunities, intercultural child care practice, family engagement in schooling, and early childhood teacher education. She has extensive experience teaching both children and adults in cross-cultural contexts including Colombia, Japan, Guatemala, Mexico, Egypt, and in two First Nations communities in Canada.Needal GhadiDr. Needal Ghadi is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina. His research interests span both identity and second language acquisition among non-native speakers of the English language. His previous research projects have explored social identity development among refugees in Canada, the language learning disruption of newcomers, and newcomer families’ participation in their children's education. Needal is currently involved in collaborative research projects in the area of newcomer resettlement experiences in rural Canada.Daniel KikulweDr. Daniel Kikulwe is an assistant professor at the School of Social Work, York University. His area of academic interest is in child welfare practices, policies, families, and immigration. Other areas of research interests relate to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children and its applicability to the global south, as well as kinship care trends in Canada.Katerina NakutnyyMs. Katerina Nakutnyy is an English as an Additional Language teacher with the Regina Catholic School Division. Her thesis research looked at the sociocultural literacy practices of a Sudanese mother and son in Canada and she has done further research pertaining to literacy practices and refugees. Katerina is very involved in her Ukrainian community and is currently supporting new displaced Ukrainians to Saskatchewan, including her own EAL students.

This study investigated circumstances surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on child protection investigations, particularly those affecting newcomer parents in Ontario, Canada. Recognizing that the pandemic inflicted substantial socioeconomic disadvantage on some people, the purpose of the study was to use an intersectional lens to examine challenges and solutions found by child welfare agencies when working with families. Insights for policy and practice are drawn from 11 virtual interviews with child welfare workers and managers in Ontario. Our findings reveal that some newcomer families encountered unique challenges: ineligibility for the available pandemic public assistance; inaccessibility to faith-based supports, which had often been their first key contact for mental wellness in the past; technological inequities; and language barriers. These intersecting conditions impacted newcomer families and led to innovative child protection interventions. Analysis of the interview data shows a gradual shift in Ontario from risk-focused approaches to supportive and preventative child welfare interventions in families. Furthermore, supervisors faced the dilemma of how stringently to enforce ongoing safety policies when some social workers were questioning the benefits of these rules for families with intersecting identities who were experiencing added burdens because of the pandemic.

This article presents findings from a qualitative study with parents of four Saskatchewan newcomer families (both immigrants and refugees) in central Canada on their interactions with child welfare services. We collected data through in-depth individual interviews with parents to understand their first encounters with child welfare authorities during the first 5 years of their settlement in Canada. None of the participants had any prior experiences of child protection services in their home countries. Our purpose was to gather data on ways to enhance collaboration and partnership between parents and child welfare services so as to ensure the safety and well-being of newcomer children and their families. Drawing on Foucault’s notions of governmentality about how state structures direct the conduct of individuals and groups, this study resulted in three findings: 1) perceptions on state interventions; 2) ambivalences about motherhood; and 3) working differently within the state. We conclude that negative experiences with social workers disempower newcomer parents and call for identification of ways to enhance information sharing between child protection services and immigrant communities in order to effectively protect immigrant children. We discuss practical suggestions for enhancing collaboration between child protection services and immigrant communities.

Racism is a determining factor for health disparities and has an impact on leisure-based physical activity, particularly for recent immigrants adapting to socio-environmental systems in a host country. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the sociocultural environment on active living among African adolescent children and further explore related pre- and post-migration experiences. Using purposive sampling, parents and children from Western-African families were interviewed. A constructivist grounded theory was used to create an adaptation model, which portrayed an idealized representation of internal, external, and transitional factors shaping physical activity engagement and opportunities of the children's active living. The adaptation model demonstrated the role of structural external factors such as perceived discrimination on leisure participation, with an interconnection with intrinsic motivation and resiliency, while elucidating the moderating effect of transitional factors such as cultural adaptations between pre- and post-migration experiences.