New report provides framework for community centres to better support refugee students and their families
Western Sydney University researchers have released a new report addressing the gaps and inequities in knowledge sharing among stakeholders working with refugee children and their families in community hubs and centres.
The findings reveal that tailored strategies such as listening without judgement, exchanging cultural knowledge, and communicating in a refugee’s home language, are all effective practices to assist a refugee family and their child’s settlement and educational development.
Drawing upon the knowledge of established providers, the researchers developed a framework and multimodal resources to scaffold enhanced practices for working effectively with families, key organisations, and local communities within metropolitan and regional settings, including a series of video pods to amplify knowledge.
Lead researcher Professor Carol Reid, from Western Sydney University’s Centre for Educational Research and School of Education, said the findings can empower those working in hubs and centres with the resources and knowledge needed to optimise refugee children’s early learning opportunities.
“Refugee settlement is a major life transition and community support is extremely important during that period. They are often dealing with limited resources and challenges in areas such as housing, education, work pathways, health, finances, and often families have been separated across the globe,” said Professor Reid.
“The research aims to empower those working in the field with the resources and knowledge needed to provide refugee families with targeted support to strengthen their integration in Australian communities, by addressing the need for community centres that are attached to schools, providing vital support for families, particularly mothers and their young children.
“The resources created will be useful for those already working in the space but also for those studying to become early childhood educators and social workers.”
The framework suggests broader integration of the techniques proven to enhance a child’s school readiness, promote literacy and numeracy, encourage play and friendships, and support parental self-efficacy and engagement in their children’s education.
To support the framework, a series of 7 video pods, ‘Settling Softly’, were created as a tool to amplify knowledge between stakeholders including current and future centre and hub facilitators while also showcasing the work of professionals across New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland.
The video pods reveal the effective strategies used by educators and service providers within community centers and hubs working on the settlement and early learning of refugee students and their families.
The project was jointly funded by Western Sydney University’s School of Education and the Ian Potter Foundation.
For more information download ‘Knowledge Translation to Support Early Learning of Refugee Children and their Families’, here (opens in a new window).
ENDS
21 February 2023
Lauren Austin, Senior Media Officer
Photo credit: Sam Dessen
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