Dr. Catherine Schmidt

Immigration Policy, Social Policy, Precarious Migration, Migrant Access to Healthcare/Social Programs, Motherhood and Parenting, Family Support Programs (Childcare, Parental Leave, Canada Child Benefit, etc.), Reproductive Health/Reproductive Justice, Social Reproduction

Catherine Schmidt studies the intersections of immigration and social policies, and how they shape access to healthcare and social programs for immigrants with precarious status in Canada. Her most recent project examined the experiences of undocumented mothers caring for young children in Toronto and the impacts of their exclusions from social programs. She primarily uses qualitative research methods to understand the effects of policies on people’s lives, and is interested in research that bridges micro and macro social work practice.

Her teaching and research are informed by over ten years of social work practice, including outreach work with migrant agricultural workers in rural Ontario, community development work in Nicaragua, and clinical work as a Social Worker/Therapist at a community health centre in Toronto.