Immigrants experience poorer health outcomes than nonimmigrants in Canada for several reasons. A central contributing factor to poor health outcomes for immigrants is access to healthcare. Previous research on access to healthcare for immigrants has largely focused on the experience of immigrant adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate how immigrants access health services for their children in Alberta, Canada. Our study involved a descriptive qualitative design. Upon receiving ethics approval from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board, we invited immigrant parents to participate in this study. We interviewed 50 immigrant parents, including 17 fathers and 33 mothers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to the themes that emerged. Findings reveal that systemic barriers contributed to challenges in accessing healthcare for immigrant children. Participants identified several of these barriers—namely, system barriers, language and cultural barriers, relationship with health professionals, and financial barriers. These barriers can be addressed by policymakers and service providers by strengthening the diversity of the workforce, addressing income as a social determinant of health, and improving access to language interpretation services.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches have been important avenues for addressing community vulnerability during pandemics and times of crises. There has been little guidance, however, on how to approach CBPR within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic where physical distancing and closure of essential community organizations became the norm. This study discusses challenges and possibilities of using CBPR during a pandemic to address the needs of immigrant and racialized older adults in Alberta, Canada. Two case studies of active research projects that aim to engage immigrant and racialized older adults are presented. Three key challenges are identified related to research activities during the pandemic: (a) pivoting as new foci emerge, (b) recognizing inequity in research participation, and (c) reflecting on well-being in the research team. Approaches to addressing these challenges are highlighted with recommendations for future considerations in CBPR research within vulnerable communities.