Funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Trillium Foundation, this research project addresses urgent and long-standing barriers faced by undocumented, Black, and newcomer parents, guardians, and caregivers as they advocate for their children's educational rights in Ontario.
This project focuses on understanding how undocumented families particularly those within Black communities navigate Ontario's education system despite systemic obstacles. Through in-depth, community-centered research, the project examines the social, legal, and cultural barriers that limit parents' ability to engage with schools and support their children's educational success. The ultimate goal is to generate practical, actionable recommendations that strengthen parental advocacy and promote equitable access to education.
At this critical moment, undocumented and newcomer families continue to face heightened precarity due to immigration enforcement, systemic racism, and widening social inequities. For Black undocumented parents in particular, these challenges are compounded by racial discrimination within institutions, limited access to information and resources, and persistent fear of deportation or family separation.
Despite legal protections guaranteeing access to education regardless of immigration status, many families remain excluded in practice. This research is urgently needed to document lived experiences, expose systemic gaps, and inform community-driven and policy-level solutions that foster inclusion, safety, and equity within Ontario's education system.
The project places a deliberate emphasis on Black communities, where parents face intersecting barriers that restrict full participation in their children's education, including:
These barriers often result in disengagement, isolation, and reduced educational outcomes for children, reinforcing cycles of inequity within Black communities.
The project will be conducted within Black communities across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and the Niagara Region, where undocumented and newcomer families are highly concentrated. While the research directly benefits Black parents and caregivers, it also supports educators, school boards, and policymakers by contributing to a more inclusive, responsive, and equitable education system.
By centering the voices and experiences of undocumented, Black, and newcomer parents, this project seeks to create lasting change, empowering families to advocate confidently for their children's futures and advancing educational equity for all communities in Ontario.