Toronto school boards launch student and family support offices
TDSB and TCDSB have opened new Student and Family Support Offices to give families a direct way to raise concerns, access help, and track escalations.
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By Torontoer Staff
The Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board have opened new Student and Family Support Offices to give students, parents and caregivers a direct way to flag concerns and get help. The TDSB’s virtual office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and both boards say the offices will help families navigate more complex or escalated issues.
The new offices were launched after a provincial directive requiring school boards to establish such services. Officials say the offices are intended to provide an additional route for families after local school staff have been consulted.
What the offices are meant to do
Both boards present the offices as an intermediary resource for matters that need support beyond the school. The TDSB described its service as a faster way to raise concerns, get help and find solutions.
We are pleased to launch the Toronto District School Board’s Student and Parent Support Office to provide students, parents, guardians, and caregivers with a direct way to raise concerns, get help, and find solutions faster.
TDSB letter to parents
The province framed the offices as a tool for transparency and tracking. The ministry said the offices will help families get answers on broader community concerns, as well as contentious or complex issues that need to be escalated after speaking with the school.
At the same time we want to be able to monitor the types of questions that are being asked. We want to be able to track it.
Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra
When to contact the support office, and when to contact the school
Both boards emphasise that families should continue to raise routine issues with the school first. The support offices are positioned for matters that remain unresolved, are complex, or require coordination across departments.
Concerns are best addressed locally.
Brendan Browne, TCDSB director of education
- Contact the classroom teacher or school administrator first for day-to-day issues, classroom questions and most disciplinary concerns.
- Use the support office when a concern has not been resolved at the school, or when the issue involves multiple departments, policies or system-level decisions.
- Escalate to the office if you need help navigating next steps, or if you require a clear point of contact for follow up.
How to use the support office
Both boards have outlined basic service timelines and contact expectations. The TDSB said its staff will aim to confirm receipt of an email within 48 hours and to address specific requests within five business days, with longer timelines provided for more complex matters.
Staff will do their best to confirm receipt of an email within 48 hours and address specific requests within five business days.
TDSB letter to parents
- Gather documentation: notes, emails, dates and names of school staff you have already contacted.
- Contact the school first and record the response and any steps taken.
- If unresolved, submit your concern to the support office with your documentation and preferred contact method.
- Expect an acknowledgement within about two business days and a timeline for resolution depending on complexity.
Context and responses
The offices were announced by the province in November, after the government placed several school boards under supervision. The directive applies to boards under provincial oversight and sets deadlines for implementation.
Opposition politicians have raised concerns about the broader context. Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles criticised the province’s removal of powers from elected trustees, saying the government is replacing locally accountable decision makers without clarity on who will fill those roles.
The government is removing people who are truly accountable to their local communities and replacing them with, we don’t know what.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles
Boards under provincial supervision must submit a report by March 31, 2026 that details how they will establish a support office by September 1, 2026.
What families should expect going forward
Families should expect a clearer escalation path for unresolved or system-level concerns, and more formal tracking of issues across boards. The offices are meant to provide a single point of contact and to clarify timelines for follow up, but they are not a substitute for local problem solving at the school level.
If you are planning to use the new support office, start by documenting your interactions with the school and preparing a concise summary of the issue. That will speed up any review and help staff provide a clear timeline for next steps.
The new offices aim to streamline communication between families and boards. For now, parents and caregivers should continue to work with their schools first, and use the support offices when issues need further escalation or a coordinated response across the system.
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