Meeting the Needs of Government Assisted Refugee Children

1
Meeting the Needs of Government Assisted Refugee
Children Youth Towards a National Approach

• Betsy Kappel Zubeida Ramji
• February 22, 2007
• National RAP Conference, Vancouver

2
Background Context

• CIC acknowledges that the Resettlement Assistance
  Program (RAP) needs revisiting
• Different profile of GARs arriving today/since
  IRPA in 2002
• Inventory of RAP Practices confirmed that
  Children Youth need attention within context of
  RAP

3
Todays Objectives

• Share what SPOs, Local CIC reps, Key Informants
  and the Literature say about
• - needs of GAR children youth
• - key principles to consider in strategy
• - potential components of a strategy
• Strategise re Gold Standard models of support
  that could be implemented nationally

4
GARs Children Youth 2006 Arrivals

• Total of 1299 Families or 7320 individuals
• Total 0-18 year olds 3328 (45)
• - 0-4 years 793
• - 5-12 years 1471
• - 13-18 years 1084
• Family Structure
• - Two parent 68
• - Single parent female 29
• - Single parent male 3

5
GARs Children Youth 2006 Arrivals

• Top 10 Citizenships (in rank order)
• - Colombia (819)
• - Afghanistan (614)
• - Myanmar (Burma) (385)
• - Congo (285)
• - Sudan (181)
• - Somalia (138)
• - Ethiopia (114)
• - Liberia (113)
• - Iran (95)
• - Burundi (85)

6
Needs of Children Youth Highlights

• Basic Overall structure/ routine/
  predictability age appropriate life skills
  separating from parents responding to other
  adults (childminders, RAP worker)
• Family Relations adjusting to reunification of
  family, role reversal with parents, coping with
  stress of cultural gap from parents responsive
  to parents role
• Social Development acceptable social/public
  behaviours etiquette team work group
  interaction fitting in/making friends
  withstanding teasing/bullying negative peers

7
Needs of Children Youth Highlights Contd

• Education/Academic Achievement regular
  punctual attendance responding to
  structure/routines at school meeting classroom /
  school behavioral expectations getting assessed
  properly and being placed at level of ability
  having access to ESL ELD programs getting
  extra help to fill gaps participation in
  extra-curricular activities feeling parents
  presence at school benefiting from
  multidisciplinary team feeling successful
  feeling accepted/ like they belong

8
Needs of Children Youth Highlights Contd

• Health Issues food/nutrition, proper clothing,
  shelter/accommodation are adequate for basic
  health vision/hearing/speech/dental issues have
  been addressed in order to facilitate normal
  growth, development learning coping with grief
  trauma building trusting relationships with
  new people

9
Overall Needs of Children Youth The
Preschooler (under 6 yrs)

• Separating from parents able to cope in daycare
  or child minding centre to
• - allow parents to learn English, get oriented,
  go for training, find employment, go to work..
• - prepare / become school-ready
• - be a child/learn to play
• Effective parenting - supervision/discipline
• Being understood by child care professionals

10
Overall Needs of Children Youth The
Elementary School-Aged Child (6 12 yrs)

• Settling in at school early proper assessment
  and placement
• Catching up/filling the gaps ESL, ELD,
  continuous reinforcement (at home, after school,
  summer, etc.)
• Socialization, school and home behaviour
  management healthy peer group
• Being understood by school personnel

11
Overall Needs of Children YouthThe
Adolescent/Youth

• Significant academic catch up ? frustration
  finding meaningful ways to stay in school
• Alternative pathways training, employment
• Sexual/reproductive health STI, birth control
• Anger/behaviour management home, school, public
  places
• Being understood by multidisciplinary team
  including parent, school or community based

12
Key Principles for Strategy

• Early Assessment Intervention
• Holistic Multidisciplinary Health
  professionals including mental health/trauma
  experts- ECE, Art Therapists, RAP, ISAP, SWIS,
  HOST Workers
• Family Level Case Management Coordination with
  deliberate emphasis on CY
• Regional customization city by city

13
Potential Components of Strategy

• Pre-arrival/Overseas Prep re. School Dos
  Donts
• Income support child transportation costs
• Prof. Child minding all ages lt 13 yrs not just
  LINC
• Child/Youth assessment orientation school
  context
• Child/Youth oriented life skills
• Specialised SWIS with refugee child focus
• Homework/tutoring/summer programs for ESL/ELD
• Parenting Programs including role in
  school/educ
• Sports/recreational programming Youth Outreach

14
Potential Components of Strategy Contd

• Employment/Training/Leadership for Youth
  including job coaching placement
• Capacity Building Initiatives
• - School effectiveness (policy, R D re. basic
  literacy)
• - Training of Child Care Workers, Teachers,
  Primary Health Mental Health Professionals,
  Child Protection Agencies, Police, RAP/ISAP/
  HOST/SWIS/LINC Personnel
• - Cultural Interpretation (for accessing all
  systems)

15
Specific Complexities

• Basic standard protocols vs. pick what you
  need/when you need
• Adult-centred vs. Child-centred vs.
  Family-centred approaches
• Segregated/Customized vs. Integrated Programs
• Responding to direct needs of Child/Youth vs.
  Capacity Building investments
• Addressing gaps (e.g. Academic) vs.
  re-traumatization
• Language expertise vs. technically skilled
  personnel

16
Small Group Assignment

• CIC has selected your community to pilot a
  strategy for GAR CY.
• Using Key Principles as a guide , design a 1 year
  Gold Standard model to respond to the needs of
  your assigned target group.
• The model should ensure smooth
  transitioning/initial settlement of the children
  or youth.
• Remember to include strategies for the parents.
• Once you have the Gold Standard, identify the
  minimum non- negotiables that would be required
  in a silver or bronze version of the model.

17

• Next Steps

18

DATA COLLECTION Non-GARs Stakeholders Regional
Teleconference Focus Groups- SPOs and CIC Reps
Data base info SPOs Follow up telephone
interview re data base- SPOs Key Informant
Interviews CIC Reps, experts in other sectors,
academia (10-12)
START UP/DEVELOPMENT Detailed Workplan Final
Contract Literature Review/ Method Development
Data Collection Tools Sampling methodology
Communication Strategy Web based database
re-deployment
DATA COLLECTION GARS Parents, Children Youth
(90-120) Select 6 sites 9-12 focus groups
Honorarium
Draft REPORT Synthesis, analysis of
information Options for National strategy
Meeting RAP Advisory CIC NHQ Staff Preferred
elements of national strategy
National Strategy Details Developed with sub
working group of RAP Advisory
FINAL REPORT Consolidated findings, analysis and
recommendations
19
GARS Strategy

• Focus groups with both parents and youth
• Local consultant model
• SPO support required
• Question What will we hear from parents and
  youth?