How we help
Free
Settling in BC, one step at a time.
Newcomer navigation is free, practical help for immigrant and refugee families settling in British Columbia while raising a child/children with a disability. We walk you through the paperwork, the systems, and the services, in the order you actually need them. It is support and connection, not legal or medical advice, and no family is turned away.
You can start before you arrive
Families can connect with Steady Path before leaving their home country, to begin preparing and asking questions in advance. Our before-you-arrive checklist covers documents, money, housing, and health, or contact us early and we will help you get ready.
Your first year
The journey, in six steps.
Every family is different, so treat this as a map, not a race. Here are the headline tasks for each stage. We go through them with you.
01
Documents & essential registration
First 1–2 weeks
The paperwork everything else depends on: identity, health coverage, and the child benefits your family is entitled to.
- Apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- Apply for your BC Services Card and enrol in the Medical Services Plan (MSP)
- Apply for the Canada Child Benefit (CRA Form RC66)
- Open a Canadian bank account
- Find a walk-in clinic, and start any specialist referrals through a family doctor
02
Housing, safety & community
Weeks 2–6
A stable place to live, and knowing how things work: tenancy, local services, and who to call in an emergency.
- Search for long-term rental housing (we can send listings)
- Learn your rights and responsibilities as a BC tenant
- Register your address with local schools and clinics
- Learn the emergency and health-advice numbers
03
School & special-needs supports
Weeks 3–8
Getting your children into school, and putting the right supports around a child with a disability.
- Register your children in the local school district
- Request an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting
- Ask for assessments: psychoeducational, speech-language, occupational therapy
- Ask about a behavioural consultant or behavioural therapist
- Connect with Child & Youth Mental Health (CYMH)
- Apply for the At Home Program and the Disability Tax Credit (DTC)
- Connect siblings with support
04
Work, credentials & adult learning
Weeks 4–12
Rebuilding your working life: job search, getting foreign qualifications recognized, and language classes.
- Register with WorkBC for job-search support
- Prepare your resume and interviews (we can help)
- Start foreign-credential evaluation (ICES or WES)
- Enrol in Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) classes (we can connect you)
05
Health, mental health & family wellbeing
Ongoing
Looking after the whole family while you settle, including the parts of settlement that wear people down quietly.
- Register with a family doctor and book dental care
- Connect with Child & Youth Mental Health and Foundry BC (youth 12–24)
- Ask about counselling: for you, for siblings, and for your child
- Join a newcomer family group, and ask about respite for caregivers
06
Financial supports & long-term stability
Months 3–12
The longer-horizon supports that build security for your child and your family over time.
- Apply for the Child Disability Benefit and Disability Tax Credit
- Open a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)
- Apply for the Affordable Childcare Benefit and subsidized recreation
- Begin transition and future-planning for your child
What we do, honestly
Where we help, and where we point you.
We would rather be clear than oversell. Some things we do with you; some we connect you to; and some are best handled by a doctor, a school, or the government. We will always tell you which is which.
We help you directly
- SIN, MSP, BC Services Card, and Canada Child Benefit (RC66) applications
- Sibling peer support and counselling
- Resume, cover-letter, and interview preparation
- Foreign-credential evaluation applications (ICES / WES)
- A local walk-in clinic list, on request
We connect you
- Housing listings and applications
- Finding your nearest school or clinic
- Career-path resources for your field
- Language classes (LINC) and conversation circles
What we don't do, and who does
- Clinical assessments, diagnoses, and medical referrals: your family doctor and CYMH
- IEP decisions: your school district
- Tax and benefit filing like the DTC and RDSP: the CRA or a tax professional
- Language instruction itself: LINC providers
If your child has a disability, start here
These are the supports that matter most, pulled from every stage above into one short list.
- Enrol in MSP and find a pediatrician
- Connect with Child & Youth Mental Health
- Request school assessments and an IEP
- Apply for the Disability Tax Credit, Child Disability Benefit, and RDSP
- Ask about respite services
- Join a support group for special-needs families
- Get advocacy support for the health and school systems
- Connect siblings with emotional support
Official forms & links
The applications, in one place.
The official applications you will use most, with the office that runs each one. Ask us if you get stuck on any of them.
Social Insurance Number (SIN)Service Canada Medical Services Plan (MSP)Health Insurance BC BC Services CardProvince of BC Canada Child BenefitCRA Form RC66 Disability Tax Credit and Child Disability BenefitCRA Form T2201 At Home Program and disability supportsProvince of BC Public school registrationYour school district Fair PharmaCareProvince of BC Affordable Child Care BenefitProvince of BC handyDART accessible transitBC Transit
Each row opens the office that runs that application. In Metro Vancouver, accessible transit is run by TransLink rather than BC Transit. Links checked September 2026. Tell us if one stops working.
In an emergency
Call 911 for any emergency. For non-urgent health advice, call 811 to reach HealthLink BC, day or night.
Questions
Newcomer navigation, answered plainly.
What is newcomer navigation?Newcomer navigation is free, practical help for immigrant and refugee families settling in British Columbia while raising a child/children with a disability. Steady Path Society walks you through the paperwork, the systems, and the services — from your first weeks through long-term stability.
Do I need to be in Canada already?No. Families can connect with Steady Path before they leave their home country, to begin preparing and asking questions in advance.
Is it free?Yes. Everything Steady Path offers is free, and no family is turned away for inability to pay.
Which areas do you serve?Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley, including Abbotsford, Surrey, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, and online anywhere in BC.
What language is support offered in?English. That is the only language we can offer support in.
You don't have to figure it out alone
Let's walk through it together.
Whether you have just arrived or are still preparing to come, we will help you find your footing in BC, one step at a time.