African Immigrant Child and Family Well-Being in Alberta: First Stakeholders Meeting Proceedings
Abstract
Recent statistics indicate that Alberta will continue to be a popular destination for African immigrants, however African families face parenting challenges that threaten their integration, mental health and general wellbeing. This meeting, the first of its kind in Alberta, brought together around 150 stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, including African immigrant parents, service providers, policy makers and researchers across Alberta. This report is a summary of the presentations, panels and focus groups in the meeting.
Notes
Community organizations:
Edmonton Immigrant Services Association and Partners for Humanity.
Key findings:
Identified strengths of African immigrant parents that contributed to positive child health and mental health included:
- Collective cultures
- Agility and resilience
- Value systems
- Intellectual capacity (e.g. post-secondary degrees, employment credentials)
Location:
Future research / gaps identified:
- Analyze how parenting concerns change over time.
- Investigate the causes of gang involvement and gun violence in African immigrant youth.
Integration timeline: not defined
Key populations: African immigrant children, youth and parents in Alberta
Key recommendations:
- Create and implement community initiatives that support the transmission of African values and cultures to African immigrant children.
- Develop multigenerational support systems to assist parents with childcare, transmitting cultures, etc.
- Expand information resources for new immigrants and pre-arrivals.
- Enhance cultural sensitivity in teachers, healthcare professionals, and other service providers.
- Create and strengthen mentorship programs for African immigrant children and youth.
- Include African immigrant families in decision making processes.
Open access: Yes
