Presentation - ECV2022-208
Supporting early years transitions for children with refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds: A scoping review
Eseta Tualaulelei, University of Southern Queensland, Australia (Eseta.Tualaulelei@usq.edu.au)
Kerry Taylor-Leech, Griffith University, Australia (k.taylor-leech@griffith.edu.au)
Bev Flückiger, Griffith University, Australia (B.Fluckiger@griffith.edu.au)
Aim: To understand what is known in the academic literature about children and families who are refugees or asylum-seekers and their experiences of accessing and participating in early years education and care services and the first year of school.
Method: A scoping literature review of peer-reviewed academic papers published between January 2000 and August 2021 was conducted following Arksey and O’Malley (2005). Five academic databases were searched: Web of Science, Informit, EBSCOHost, Scopus, and ProQuest. The review focused on families with refugee and asylum-seeker status and their experiences with transitions into preschools, daycare services, kindergarten, and primary/elementary school. It also scoped the literature for educational system and educator supports for transitioning children with refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds. A search protocol was developed and resulted in the collection of 121 articles which were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed.
Results: The international academic literature revealed a range of enablers and barriers that affect transitions of children and families with refugee and asylum-seeker status into early years education and care services and schools. Many of the barriers can be addressed through educator and systemic support.
Conclusions: The positive transition of children with refugee and asylum-seeker status into early years education and care services and schools requires educators and educational systems that are supportive of and responsive to the unique combination of challenges these families face. The academic literature provided guidance for supporting families with refugee and asylum-seeker status, and it revealed several areas that require further exploration.
Implications for children and families: Families with refugee and asylum-seeker status face multiple barriers when transitioning children into early childhood education and care services and schools. The literature suggests that early years educators and early years educational systems are well placed to support these families when they are aware of the challenges they face.
Implications for practitioners: You can positively support the transitions of children and families with refugee and asylum-seeker status if you know about the enablers and barriers they face. The literature has identified many barriers that you can directly respond to through practice and pedagogical considerations. Some barriers may be better addressed through policy or systemic responses.
Funding: Queensland Department of Education and Griffith University
Key words: families’ voices, professionals’ voices, review, refugees and asylum-seekers, early years transitions
This presentation relates to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
