Hosted on Friday, July 19, 2024, the training was delivered by Caroline Dilts, LICSW, the Refugee Program Manager at the Research Program for Children and Adversity at the Boston College School of Social Work; Farhad Sharifi, MSW, a recent Afghan evacuee who was initially at Camp Atterbury; Maliha Raza Khan, MA, a nonprofit consultant with over 20 years of experience; and, Audrey Montgomery, MSW, is a research associate focused primarily on the Research Program on Children and Adversity’s (RPCA) refugee portfolio.
During resettlement, newcomer caregivers face numerous challenges adjusting to their new cultural context, which can significantly affect their caregiving practices for children and youth. Although some families receive a brief cultural orientation upon arriving in the United States, further education on U.S. child welfare policies, positive parenting strategies, and parental rights and responsibilities is essential to prevent misunderstandings. Providers working with newcomer caregivers must understand the inherent difficulties of parenting in a new culture and approach caregiving topics with sensitivity. This webinar will address cultural adaptation barriers that impact parenting decisions, offer strengths-based and trauma-informed strategies for educating newcomer parents on their caregiving rights and responsibilities, and provide positive parenting recommendations.
By the end of this webinar, you will be able to:
– Identify common challenges faced by newcomer parents in the U.S. and explain how they affect parenting skills
– Describe the impacts of having culturally sensitive and strengths-based conversations about caregiving with newcomers
– Apply trauma-informed strategies when educating newcomer caregivers on U.S. child-rearing laws, norms, and behavior management
