Safer, healthier and integrated faster: improving outcomes for families seeking sanctuary by addressing child care difficulties

Aims

The report looks at the role child care can play in helping asylum seeking and refugee families adjust to their new lives and integrate into their new communities. It also looks at the barriers these families have to overcome to enable them to take up available child care provision. The report was commissioned by the Northern Refugee Centre with funding from the Tudor Trust.

Methodology

Data was obtained from asylum seeker/refugee parents and service providers through questionnaires, interviews and focus groups between June and September 2009. From the 200 [approximate number] individuals, from a wide range of organisations, who were contacted, 35 responses were received – 13 from organisations and 22 from asylums seeking/refugee parents. Data gathered in 2008 and used to inform the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Refugee Integration Strategy, was also used.

Key issues

The report identifies the most vulnerable parents who will require the most support and emphasises that support needs to be targeted to meet specific needs such as giving those parents time to:

• prepare and present their asylum case
• access help to overcome trauma
• cope in emergencies
• parent well
• attend classes that would help them learn new skills to enable them to integrate effectively

The report also identifies a number of barriers that would prevent parents from accessing child care provision such as: the lack of information and availability of suitable child care; a lack of funding; and the parents' lack of trust in others.

Recommendations

The report details a number of recommendations for frontline organisations, policy makers, the UK Border Agency, Early Years Partnerships and funders.