Serving Immigrant Families: Using Knowledge Translation to Inform a Family Approach in the Settlement Sector

This working paper utilizes a Knowledge Translation (KT) framework to propose a "Family Approach" for Canada’s settlement sector, seeking to bridge the gap between academic research and current policy. Drawing on findings from the Integration Trajectories of Immigrant Families (ITIF) project and consultations with prominent Toronto settlement agencies, the author argues that the current individualistic service model used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) fails to account for the reality that settlement is a deeply relational and family-centric experience. The paper emphasizes that family support is the most critical predictor of immigrant success, yet restrictive policies often fracture these vital networks by prioritizing a narrow, nuclear definition of family. To address these systemic gaps, the author presents five key recommendations, including the adoption of an inclusive "chosen family" definition, the integration of family-linked data in the iCARE reporting system, and the expansion of para-counselling and social networking programs. Ultimately, the paper advocates for a paradigm shift that recognizes the family as the fundamental unit of analysis to foster more resilient and successfully integrated newcomer communities.