Responding to the ECEC Needs of Children of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Europe and North America

In 2016, an unprecedented 65.6 million people were displaced worldwide; 22.5 million of them, were refugees fleeing their home countries, and of that number, half were children. Responding to the ECEC Needs of Children of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Europe and North America reviews the results of a seven-country study of early childhood education and care (ECEC) policies and practices established to support refugee and asylum seeking children in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey and the United States. The report utilizes data from governmental and non-governmental sources, as well as findings from academic studies, to highlight the challenges facing these children, identify approaches to improve their academic performance, and provide readers with a set of policy recommendations. While ECEC programs create an important basis for academic success and social integration, there is a widespread lack of national ECEC policies for refugee children. Moreover, training and resources for trauma-informed care “are almost universally lacking.” For instance, reception centers typically do not offer any activities for children age six and under. However, there are several programs that have developed effective strategies for working with these children. Mixed classrooms, coordinated efforts by interagency and community partners, and Germany’s whole-of-government approach to immigrant integration illustrate promising strategies that benefit children, families and societies as a whole. Given that the movement of displaced people does not appear to be abating, the authors suggest that policymakers take into account the significant role of ECEC programs in promoting newcomer integration and social cohesion. (Jasmina Popaja for The Immigrant Learning Center Public Education Institute)

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