ImmigrantChildren.ca Archive

Category: Child Health

  • Children in the Asylum System, London, England courses

    As posted on the NAME listserv:
    Age assessment awareness and working with age-disputed young people

    February 21, 2012 & March 15, 2012.  Ensuring the wellbeing of unaccompanied refugee children and young people is at the heart of this course, which aims to give delegates the confidence and information they need to challenge assessments, and the tools to ensure that the correct processes are in place in your organisation.

    An introduction to working with unaccompanied children

    February 28, 2012.  This course will provide an overview of the asylum and support systems for children and examine the interaction between the two. Focusing on procedures that the young people are required to participate in, delegates are assisted in exploring how best to respond to the difficulties they may be facing.

    Emotional wellbeing of refugee children and young people

    March 1, 2012. This course will examine the emotional impact of the experiences that refugee children and young people face as they flee from their home countries and settle in the UK.  It will provide participants with the tools to assess the organisation in which they work, to identify factors which are detrimental to emotional wellbeing and to devise strategies for providing appropriate care and support.

    Working with refugee children in schools

    March 1, 2012. This course will provide an opportunity to examine the specific needs of refugee pupils, including those new to schooling in the UK, and investigate positive strategies to support them in achieving their potential.  Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on and evaluate their own practice, as well as that of the school in which they work.

    All courses cost £109 for registered charities and £175 for all other attendees.  To book, email training@refugeecouncil.org.uk

  • 14th National Metropolis conference, Feb 29-March 3, sessions on immigrant children, youth & families

    The 14th National Metropolis conference theme is Future Immigration Policies: Challenges and Opportunities for Canada. It will be held February 29 – March 3, 2012 at the Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto.
    immigrantchildren.ca is delighted to see so many workshops and a dedicated poster session that focus on immigrant and refugee children, youth, and families:

    Thurs March 1, 2012 Workshops

    Family violence towards young newcomer women
    This workshop will explore family violence towards young newcomer women (ages 15-30). Presentations will examine factors that contribute to abuse and violence, barriers and facilitators to seeking help, the experiences of shelter staff in offering appropriate services, and existing government policies and programs related to this type of family violence.
    Organizer
    Lucia Madariaga-Vignudo, Qualtrica Associates
    Tuula Heinonen, University of Manitoba
    Participants
    Priya Sharma, University of Manitoba
    Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing Help: The Experience of Young Newcomer Women Affected by Family Violence in Winnipeg, Manitoba
    Lucia Madariaga-Vignudo, Qualtrica Associates
    Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing Help: The Experience of Young Newcomer Women Affected by Family Violence in Winnipeg, Manitoba
    Janine Fraser, Edmonton Women’s Shelter Ltd.
    Providing Shelter to Young Newcomer Women Fleeing Family Violence: A Service Provider’s Perspective
    Hoori Hamboyan, Justice Canada
    Family violence policy and its impact on ethno-cultural minority communities
    Anna Korteweg, University of Toronto
    Religion, Culture, and the Politicization of Honour-Related Violence: A Critical Analysis of Media and Policy Debates in Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada
    Chair
    Tuula Heinonen, University of Manitoba
    At the margins but longing to belong: Immigrant and refugee youth in Canadian schools Immigrant teenagers experience a steep learning curve as they attempt to learn either English or French, complete high school and integrate into Canadian society. In this workshop we will explore the social and linguistic integration experiences of newcomers at school in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec as well as policy implications.
    Organizer
    Antoinette Gagné, University of Toronto
    Participants
    Ranya Khan, University of Toronto
    Meeting the needs of war-affected refugees in Manitoba high schools
    Sunny Lau, Bishop’s University
    Developing immigrant learners’ academic expertise through the promotion of identities of competence
    Stephanie Soto Gordon, Toronto District Board of Education
    Growing new roots: Coming together – New immigrant and Canadian teenagers
    Antoinette Gagne, University of Toronto
    Growing new roots: Coming together – New immigrant and Canadian teenagers
    Yamin Qian, University of Toronto
    More than English proficiency: Chinese adolescents’ peer networks and English use in Toronto
    Marilyn Steinbach, Université de Sherbrooke
    Social integration of immigrant adolescents in secondary schools in regional Quebec
    Chair
    Antoinette Gagné, University of Toronto
    Discussant
    Clea Schmidt, University of Manitoba
    Female genital cutting in the Canadian context: Global bodies and immigration The 1990s was a time of much attention to the issue of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in Canada with the development of legal policies, original research and innovative programming in the community. In this workshop, presenters from different sectors and disciplines will address a renewed interest in all of these areas.
    Organizer
    Paula Migliardi, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
    Participants
    Shereen Denetto, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
    Women, Men and Youth’s Perspectives of Female Genital Cutting and Change In Winnipeg
    Gillian Einstein, University of Toronto
    Pain in Somali – Canadian Women: Neurological Consequences of Female Genital Circumcision
    Perron Liette, Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologist Canada
    Female Genital Cutting / Mutilation: SOGC Working for Change
    Notisha Massaquoi, Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre
    Policy Development in Canada: Past, Present and Future
    Bilkis Visandjée, University of Montréal
    Clinical Imperatives, Research Perspectives: Giving Quality of Care in the Context of Traditional Practices
    Chair
    Paula Migliardi, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
    Immigration and mothering This session will examine the multiple and shifting roles, relationships, constructions and representations of mothers and mothering in the processes of immigration. Various dimensions will be explored from issues of identity (and intersecting identities in terms of race and class), to work in the home, family and community, as well as the negotiation of family arrangements, relationships with the second generation, and roles with respect to transnational and cross-cultural mothering. In so doing, this workshop will consider how mothers contribute to immigration, settlement and integration, as well as the impact such processes have on mothering.
    Organizer
    Alexandra Dobrowolsky, Atlantic Metropolis Centre
    Evangelia Tastsoglou, Saint Mary’s University and Atlantic Metropolis Centre
    Guida C. Man, York University and CERIS-The Ontario Metropolis Centre
    Participants
    Guida C. Man, York University and CERIS-The Ontario Metropolis Centre
    Negotiating Work and Family: Exploring Transnational Migration Practices of Immigrant Women Professionals in Canada
    Mehrunnisa Ali, Ryerson University
    When Mothering Never Ends: The Experiences of Mothering Teenagers and Young Adults in the South Asian Diaspora
    Farishta Murzban Dinshaw, COSTI Family Violence Initiative
    Mothers of Sons: Gender Roles and Cultural Continuity in Immigrant Communities
    Anna Kirova, University of Alberta and Prairie Metropolis Centre
    Involving Newcomer Parents and Children in Negotiating Cultural Identities Through Art-Making
    Chair
    Alexandra Dobrowolsky, Atlantic Metropolis Centre
    Discussant
    Evangelia Tastsoglou, Saint Mary’s University and Atlantic Metropolis Centre
    Improving the lives of immigrant and refugee youth: Collaborative community, research, and policy initiatives The complex needs of our growing population of youth from immigrant and refugee families will be addressed by academic, professional, and community participants. Promising collaborative approaches in youth activism, local partnerships, diversity training, and health improvement among immigrant youth will be highlighted, with an eye toward policy and programming.
    Organizer
    Darren Lund, Prairie Metropolis Centre
    Participants
    Darren Lund, Prairie Metropolis Centre
    Learning from Youth Leaders in Social Justice Activism
    James Baker, Memorial University
    The Making of a “Welcoming Community”: Youth Perspectives on Inclusion, Integration, and Participation
    Marisa Cardeal-Casagrande, McMaster University
    Fostering Leadership and Engagement with the “Youth Futures Program”
    Hassan Vatanparast, University of Saskatchewan
    Improving the Health and Nutrition of Immigrant and Refugee Children
    Mischa Davison, Saskatoon Open Door Society
    “Creating Youth Culture”: Teen Diversity Leadership Training Program
    Chair
    Darren Lund, Prairie Metropolis Centre
    Discussant
    Fariborz Birjandian, Calgary Catholic Immigration Society

    Friday, March 2, 2012 Workshops

    Second generation youth: Educational and employment trajectories among Filipino youth in Canada The Philippines is now Canada’s top source of immigrants and this population has a distinctive set of arrival and settlement experiences. The echoes of these experiences are evident in the educational and employment outcomes of second generation Filipino-Canadian youth. This session explores these outcomes across four cities in Canada.
    Organizer
    Philip Kelly, York University
    Participants
    Philip Kelly, York University
    Geographies of the Second Generation: Filipino-Canadian Class Reproduction in Urban
    Canada
    Maureen Mendoza, University of British Columbia
    Educated Minorities: The Experiences of Filipino Canadian University Students
    Darlyne Bautista, Winnipeg School Division
    Exploring Culture in Our Schools: Policy Discussion and Community Practice
    Veronica Javier, Community Social Worker
    Julia Mais, York University
    Behind the Resume: Influences on the Educational and Employment Trajectories of 1.5 and Second Generation Filipino-Canadians
    Daisydee Bautista, Aksyon Ng Ating Kabataan (ANAK) Inc.
    Exploring Culture in Our Schools: Policy Discussion and Community Practice
    Chair
    Mila Garcia, Community Alliance for Social Justice
    Discussant
    Conely De Leon, York University
    The Concepts of age and generation in the migration context: Implications for policy-research This workshop focuses on the concepts of age and generation in migration contexts and examines the inter-play of age, generation, as well as gender, race and immigrant and family status in the social and economic outcomes of immigrants in Canada. Conceptual and methodological issues will be explored. Research findings related to how age and generational status are key indicators of both the context of migrations and the settlement and integration processes will be shared. Policy and program implications for governments and service providers will also be identified.
    Organizer
    Christina Clark-Kazak, York University
    Laure Lafrance, Citizenship and Immigration Canada
    Participants
    Alexandra Ricard-Guay, McGill University
    Unpacking human trafficking definitions through the lens of age-sensitivity
    Ranu Basu, York University
    Building Community in Suburban Inner-City Schools: Scarborough as Site for Emancipatory Practice
    Yogendra Shakya, Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services
    Challenges and Opportunities in Family Role Changes for Refugee Youth from the Afghani, Karen and Sudanese Communities
    May Farrales, Unversity of British Columbia
    Holding spaces: geographies of Filipino-Canadian students’ educational experiences
    Chair
    Christina Clark-Kazak, York University
    Post-secondary education participation: Access and supports among immigrant youth in Canada This workshop reports, compares, and contrasts findings with respect to post-secondary education participation of immigrant youth with particular attention to access and supports (e.g. structural factors, social supports, special needs, engagement) from two sources — 17 year olds in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and 19 year olds in British Columbia’s Metro Vancouver School Districts (MVSD).
    Organizer
    Paul Anisef, York University
    Vicky Maldonado, McMaster University
    Participants
    Robert Brown, Toronto District School Board
    Gillian Parekh, York University
    Paul Anisef, York University
    Post-secondary Participation of First, Second, and Third Generation Students: The Role of Social and Academic Supports in Secondary School
    Vicky Maldonado and Scott Davies, McMaster University
    Horizontal Stratification and the Maclean’s Rankings: University Participation of Native-born and Immigrant Youth in the Toronto District School Board
    Kristyn Frank, Independent Researcher
    Does Parental and Teacher Engagement Influence the Field of Study Choices of Immigrant and Canadian-born University Students?
    Maria Adamuti-Trache, University of Texas at Arlington
    Robert Sweet, Lakehead University
    High School to PSE Pathways of Metro Vancouver Students: Ethnic Group Differences
    Chair
    Paul Anisef, York University
    Discussant
    Roula Anastasakos, Toronto District School Board
    Limited access to healthcare for uninsured families and children: Ontario and Quebec This workshop focuses on health status and access to care of immigrant, refugee, and migrant children, youth and pregnant women who do not have provincial health care coverage. It will present new research findings, health provider perspectives and health service delivery challenges, and discuss implications for policy and practice.
    Organizer
    Joanna Anneke Rummens, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto
    Cécile Rousseau, McGill University and CSSS de la Montagne (Parc Extension)
    Sharon Chakkalackal, The Hospital for Sick Children
    Participants
    Joanna Anneke Rummens, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto
    Sharon Chakkalackal, The Hospital for Sick Children
    Access to Health Care for Uninsured Immigrant, Refugee and Migrant Child and Youth in Ontario
    Audrey Laurin-Lamothe, McGill University
    Francesca Meloni, McGill University
    Alexandra Ricard-Guay, McGill University
    Health Status of Uninsured Children & Pregnant Women in Quebec
    Manavi Handa, Assocation of Ontario Midwives
    Karline Wilson-Mitchell, Sages-Femmes Rouge Valley Midwives Scarborough/Durham Region
    On the Ground: Access to Healthcare Issues for Uninsured Women and their Canadian Babies
    Joesiann Nelson, Black Creek Community Health Centre,
    Simone Atungo, Mount Sinai Hospital
    Before and After: Seeking Pathways to Care for Uninsured Moms and Children at Community Health Centres and Hospitals
    Chair
    Deb Kocay, Public Health Agency of Canada
    Discussant
    Wendy Katherine, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
    Community-based health promotion programs for children and their families: How the Public Health Agency of Canada is improving the health of recent immigrants This workshop will highlight the Public Health Agency of Canada’s community-based programs and their work in the health promotion of recent immigrants and their families. There will be an overview of the programs from a national perspective, along with specific regional issues and the experiences of projects delivering health promotion programming in the community.
    Organizer
    Dana Gaertner, Public Health Agency of Canada/Agence de santé publique du Canada
    Participants
    Jennette Toews, Public Health Agency of Canada – National Office /Agence de santé publique du Canada – Bureau central
    CAPC and recent immigrants: A national health promotion program for children and their families
    Blanca Serrano, Public Health Agency of Canada – Ontario Region /Agence de santé publique du Canada – Région de l’Ontario
    Promoting the health and well-being of children and families in Ontario: Working with new immigrants
    Julie Burdon, The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre
    Innovative solutions that meet the needs of a diverse population at our prenatal and parenting programs
    Marie-Michèle Delisle-Bédard, Maison pour femmes immigrantes
    L’intervention auprès des femmes et de leurs enfants victimes ou exposés à la violence: succès et défis
    Immigrant and refugee visible minority youth in Canada The presence of immigrant and refugee visible minority youth in Canada has enhanced the growth of Canada’s population and labour force. As this is an advantage for the country, it is also important to determine who these youth are, their circumstances, needs, and how they can contribute to Canada’s multicultural society.
    Organizer
    J. Alejandro Hernandez-Ramirez, Simon Fraser University
    Participants
    J. Alejandro Hernandez-Ramirez, Simon Fraser University
    Miu Chung Yan, University of British Columbia
    Tejwant Chana, University of Alberta
    Dorla Harris, MOSAIC
    Farah Prashadcolah, Youth Settlement Worker
    Lianne Lee, Immigrant Sector Council of Calgary
    Heather Robertson, Newcomers Employment and Education Development Services (N.E.E.D.S.) Inc.
    Cristina Guerrero, University of Toronto
    Chair
    J. Alejandro Hernandez-Ramirez, Simon Fraser University
    Engaging immigrant children in Ontario and Quebec schools through the creation of multimodal identity texts How can teachers, researchers and community members collaboratively draw on the cultural and linguistic resources that immigrant children bring to their learning? This workshop examines how students’ expressions of their diverse identities and experiences through multimodal and multilingual creations deepen their engagement and facilitate their integration at school.
    Organizer
    Gail Prasad, University of Toronto
    Marie Paule Lory, Université de Montréal
    Participants
    Marie Paule Lory, Université de Montréal
    Quand le plurilinguisme prend corps dans des ateliers d’expression théâtrale et d’éveil aux langues
    Gail Prasad, University of Toronto
    What Moves Me? Exploring Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children’s representations of their mobilities through self-portraits and photography
    Saskia Stille, University of Toronto
    Engaging in cultural production at school: Using digital media to create identity texts with emergent bilingual children
    Susan Hind, Toronto District School Board
    Found in Translation: Showcasing home-school-community cultural and linguistic diversity through visual media creation
    Amelia Jimenez, Inner City Angels
    Found in Translation: Showcasing home-school-community cultural and linguistic diversity through visual media creation

    Saturday March 3, 2012 Workshops

    Muslim students in Canadian schools: Meeting students’ academic, social and faith-based needs How can Canadian schools meet the needs of their Muslim students? This session will highlight the findings from a study that included teachers’ voices, experiences and practices related to the schooling of their Muslim students, and discuss how schools and teachers attempt to support religious practices in a secular space.
    Organizer
    Ranya Khan, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
    Participants
    Sararoz Niyozov, University of Toronto
    Ranya Khan, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
    Arif Anwar, University of Toronto
    Nadeem Memon, Razi Group
    Uzma Jamil, McGill Transcultural Research and Intervention Team
    Chair
    Sararoz Niyozov, University of Toronto
    International migration and maternity Maternity may amplify socioeconomic marginalization and the vulnerability of immigrant women. Reproduction is a critical event on the life trajectory and represents an imperative sphere of attention. This roundtable enables decisive exchange between researchers, and government and non-government representatives, regarding socioeconomic, political, and cultural processes perpetuating maternal health care inequities.
    Organizer
    Gina Higginbottom, University of Alberta
    Participants
    Deb Kocay, Public Health Agency of Canada
    Myfanwy Morgan, King’s College London
    Gina Higginbottom, University of Alberta
    Annalita Shireen Bell, University of Alberta
    Lanre Tunji-Ajay, Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario
    Helen Vallianatos, University of Alberta
    Chair
    Gina Higginbottom, University of Alberta
    Discussant
    Deb Kocay, Public Health Agency of Canada
    Immigrant mothers, health outcomes and promising practices to reduce health inequities Health inequities can affect immigrant and refugee mothers, and, as maternal health is a spread-used indicator to assess the state of well-being in most countries, there is a need to explore how immigrant mothers’ health can be affected once in Canada. Speakers at this workshop will showcase recent research on maternal health differences between immigrant and Canadian-born mothers. They will examine several health indicators and determinants of health as well as the maternal experiences, perceptions, knowledge, and practices of both populations. The workshop will also include the preliminary findings from the Migrant Friendly Maternity Care project as well as a community perspective on a number of resources and initiatives being implemented to address the reproductive needs of newcomer women and their families.
    Organizer
    Solange van Kemenade, Public Health Agency of Canada
    Anita Gagnon, McGill University
    Participants
    Marcelo Urquia, Saint Michael’s Hospital
    How immigrant women are doing in terms of maternal and infant health in Canada?
    Dawn Kingston, University of Manitoba
    Comparison of Maternity Experiences of Canadian-Born and Recent and Non-Recent Immigrant Women: Findings From the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey
    Maureen Heaman, University of Manitoba
    Comparison of Maternity Experiences of Canadian-Born and Recent and Non-Recent Immigrant Women: Findings From the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey
    Saleha Bismilla, Toronto Public Health
    Giving Birth in a New Land
    Anita Gagnon, McGill University
    Can Migrant Friendly Maternity Care (MFMC) improve perinatal health outcomes?
    Chair
    Solange van Kemenade, Public Health Agency of Canada
    Refugee youth negotiating change This roundtable examines some of the diverse and interconnected challenges and opportunities refugee youth encounter as they negotiate various life transitions in the context of settlement in Canada. Discussion topics include education, settlement/youth services, creativity, mental health, social and cultural integration, gang involvement, sexuality, and employment.
    Organizer
    Alejandro Hernandez, Simon Fraser University
    Jenny Francis, University of British Columbia
    Participants
    Jenny Francis, University of British Columbia
    Paula Migliardi, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
    Susan Frohlick, University of Manitoba
    Marian Rossiter, University of Alberta
    Nora Becker, Saskatchewan Intercultural Association
    Wendy Auger, Immigrant Services Calgary
    Jane Wambui Gichuru, University of Western Ontario
    Zheng Zhang, University of Western Ontario
    Sarah Fletcher, University of Victoria
    Nona Grandea, Citizenship and Immigration Canada
    Chair
    Jenny Francis, University of British Columbia

    Poster Sessions

    Des services communautaires qui bonifient la relation école-famille : le cas d’un organisme montréalais
    Annick Lavoie, Université de Montréal
    Fasal Kanouté, Université de Montréal
    Justine Gosselin Gagné, Université de Montréal
    Enhancing our ability to respond to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) newcomer youth within the settlement sector
    Zack Marshall, Memorial University of Newfoundland
    Tess Vo, Griffin Centre Mental Health Services
    The Role of transnational families in immigrant settlement
    Amrita Hari, York University
    Grandparental caregiving in Chinese-Canadian immigrant families
    Cynthia Sing-Yu Shih, York University
    Yvonne Bohr, York University
    Afghan newcomer youth in Toronto: Exploring leisure and information practices during settlement
    Lisa Quirke, University of Toronto
    Étudiants internationaux et persévérance aux études postsecondaires
    Sarah Mainich, Université de Montréal
    The African Canadian youth leadership project: Encouraging a critical reading of the Canadian urban landscape
    Troy Glover, University of Waterloo
    Debjani Henderson, University of Waterloo
    Visit the Metropolis conference website for more information. To register, visit here.

  • The Wellbeing of immigrant children and parents in Canada depends much on a sense of belonging

    Economists Peter Burton and Shelley Phipps, Dalhousie University studied the life satisfaction of youth who immigrated to Canada as children and their immigrant parents. They used data on thousands of recent immigrants and Canadian-born families collected through the Canadian Community Health Survey (2002-2008).
    In their working paper “The Well-Being of Immigrant Children and Parents in Canada“, Burton and Phipps find less life satisfaction than Canadian born families with youth.
    From the news item covering the release of the paper in today’s Globe and Mail by Frances Woolley:

    “Immigrants felt less of a sense of belonging than the Canadian-born. For youth, feeling like you don’t belong is a better predictor of being less satisfied with life than being an immigrant. Indeed, once Burton and Phipps controlled for people’s sense of belonging, the gap between immigrant and comparable non-immigrant youth went away. (That was not true for parents, however — even immigrant parents who felt like they belonged to their local communities were still less satisfied than non-immigrants)”.

  • Immigrant children, youth and families: A Qualitative analysis of the challenges of integration

    This spring, the Social Planning Council of Ottawa concluded work on “Immigrant children, youth and families: A Qualitative analysis of the challenges of integration”, as part of their Families in Community project.
    The report addresses the disconnect when newcomer families feel their parenting and child-rearing methods are not acknowledged/respected and the tension service providers feel about some newcomers who they perceive demonstrate a lack of commitment to early child development.
    Next stages in the SPCO Families in Community project will result in:

    An analysis of best/good practices for culturally-based family supports by ethno-cultural organizations.
    Supports to good/best practices within 8 pilot projects with small ethno-cultural organizations.
    A resource kit for mainstream family services based on good practices serving new immigrant families.

    The report will be launched at the annual Social Planning Council of Ottawa AGM, May 26, 2011 in Ottawa. For information, contact Helene by May 15 at 613-236-9300 ext. 300 office@spcottawa.on.ca.  Free admission, but donations are welcome.

  • Ethical challenges inherent in meeting mental health needs of immigrant children and youth, Toronto conference

    Sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Thistletown Regional Centre, a multi-service mental health treatment centre for children, youth and families, is hosting a conference Nov 17-18, 2010 in the McDonald Block, Ontario government building complex, downtown Toronto.
    What’s the conference about?

    As one of the first events of this nature, the conference aims to identify/address different aspects of a unique and complex component of children’s mental health service provision. It will bring together prominent speakers, and service providers and users to present, in an open dialogue, their thinking on an area of critical concern, and share their experience on how their current values, convictions, and/or expectations are implemented in the service provision/use. It is expected that the conference will facilitate a better understanding of the diverse shape of ethical dilemmas in the children’s mental health field. In addition to providing an opportunity to learn from each other, the conference will contribute towards strengthening our services, as well as provide a foundation for our further work in modeling ethical-decision making with immigrant children, youth, their families and communities” (Source: Conference description).

    Who should attend?

    Mental health professionals, social workers, speech and language pathologists, PTs and OTs, policy makers, academics and researchers, settlement workers,  ethno-racial community leaders, and anyone with an interest in mental health services for newcomer children, youth and their families are welcome to participate.

    For more information on the conference, including speaker bios, see this page. To register, visit here.

  • Back to school: Multilingual parent tip sheets from People for Education

    People for Education has a series of useful parent tip sheets, in several languages, on a variety of topics related to starting school.
    Topics include:

    Starting school can be scary for kids and parents ~ Tips to help parents prepare their children for Kindergarten and Grade 1.
    What is the role of the Ministry of Education, school boards, schools, teachers and school councils? Who does what.
    Parent-teacher interviews ~ How to make the best use of time with your child’s teacher.
    Homework help ~ How to support your child in their homework.
    Health and physical education and activity ~ Physical, emotional and mental health as key predictors of future quality of life.
    High School courses and choices ~ Making the right decisions.
    Solving problems at school ~ Tips for parents and children if problems arise at school.
    Special Ed ~ All about special education programs for children with challenges and/or learning disAbilities.
    EQAO ~ What are the EQAO tests? How can parents help prepare their children?

    Tip sheets are currently available in the following languages:

    Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, French, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tamil, Urdu.

  • On New Shores 2010: Coping with stress in various cultural contexts

    Details have been finalized for the 4th annual On New Shores conference. The theme this year is Resilience of immigrants: Coping with stress in various cultural contexts.

    The conference, organized by Dr. Susan Chuang will be held Sept 30-Oct 1, 2010 at the University of Guelph, Ontario. The line-up:

    Day One: Thursday, September 30

    8:00 -9:00 Registration.

    9:00-9:15 Welcome and introductions: Serge Desmarais, Associate Vice President and Susan Chuang, Organizer.

    9:15-9:30 Dedication: Tom Luster. Strangers in a Strange Land: The ‘Lost Boys of Sudan’, Michigan State University.

    9:45-10:35 Michael Ungar, The Social Ecology of Resilience: Culture, Context, Resources, and Meaning, Dalhousie University.

    Morning concurrent sessions:

    Beyond Stress: Immigrant women facing domestic violence, with Effat Ghassemi and Reza Shahbazi, Newcomer Centre of Peel and New Canadians’ Centre of Excellence, Inc.
    Compassion fatigue: Warning signs and practical tools for prevention and resilience, with Jane Bradley, certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist.
    Strategy for building resilience in immigrant youth Youth: A Two-tiered mentorship program, with Petra Okeke and Nashila Dharsh, The Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth.
    Achors Away, Anchors to Stay, with Rita Francis and Fadia Ismail, YMCA.
    Parental exposure to life stress: Mechanisms of resilience in immigrant children, with Kelly Fife and Katholiki Georgiades, McMaster University.
    Protection from the storm: Resilience and life satisfaction in US immigrant populations, with Vanessa Alleyne and Claire Wooloff, Montclair State University.

    Early afternoon concurrent sessions:

    Channels of mother-infant communication across task, development, and culture, with Catherine Tamis-LeMonda, New York University.
    Mothers’ reports of fathers’ involvement with children in Mexican immigrant families in the US, with Ziarat Hossain, University of New Mexico.
    Stress and resilience among Latino immigrant families, with Jo Ann Farver, University of Southern California.
    The Promotion of resilience in the face of challenge among Chinese Canadian youth, with Catherine Costigan, University of Victoria.
    Hostile hallways: Chinese American youth experience of peer discrimination in schools, with Erika Niwa, Niobe Way, and Desiree Qin, New York University and Michigan State University.
    Ethnic composition of peer groups: Effects on Chinese Canadian and Euro-Canadian children’s adjustment, with Xinyin Chen, University of Pennsylvania.
    More than a haircut: Building on strengths and mutual support at the barbershop, with Sarah Marsh, Lorraine Kirlew and Chevy King, Centre for Community Based Research, Macauley Child Development Centre, and York University.
    Resilience in Sudanese Refugee Families in Canada, with David Este, Laura Simich and Hayley Hamilton, University of Calgary, and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
    Immigrants raising citizens: Undocumented parents of the second generation, with Hiro Yoshikawa, Harvard University.

    Later afternoon concurrent sessions:

    Settlement in the early years: The Distinctive needs of young newcomer children, with Judith Colbert.
    Paradoxical patterns in early academic trajectories of newcomer children in Miami, with Jessica deFeyter, Adam Winsler and Yoon  Kim, George Mason University.
    Ready, Set, Go: A School readiness program supporting a successful start to kindergarten, with Sarah Liddell, Aisling Discoveries Child and Family Centre.
    A Qualitative Investigation of Chinese Youth ‘Growing up in NYC’, with Uwe Gielen, Jonathan Palumbo, and Ting Lei, St. Francis College and Borough of Manhattan College.
    Internal migration in Mongolia: The Meaning of being a proper Chinese citizen, with William Jankowiak, University of Nevada.
    Dragon seed: A Visual tour of  NYC Chinatown, with Uwe Gielen, St. Francis College.
    Fitting in: The Roles of social acceptance and discrimination among Latino youth, with Krista Perreira, Stephanie Potochick and Andrew Fuligni, University of North Carolina and UCLA.
    School influences on levels of emotional-behavioural problems among immigrant and ethnic-minority youth, with Katholiki Georgiades, Michael Boyle, and Kelly Fife, McMaster University.

    Day Two: Friday, October 1

    9:00-11:40 Michael Ungar Workshop: Clinical interventions to nurture resilience among culturally diverse youth and their families.

    Poster presentations:

    Sudanese Families ~ In Honour of Dr. Tom Luster, Michigan State University.
    The Influence of racialized experiences on the identities of Sudanese refugee youth, by Deborah Johnson, Andrew Saltarelli and Desiree Qin.
    “My culture helps me make good decisions”: Cultural appropriation and adaptation of Sudanese refugee youth, by Desiree Qin, Andrew Saltarelli, Laura Bates et al.
    Successful adjustment among Sudanese unaccompanied minors: Perspectives of youth and their foster parents, by Tom Luster, Desiree Qin, Laura Bates et al.
    Fostering Sudanese refugee youth: Parent perspectives, by Laura Bates, Deborah Johnson, Meenal Rana et al.
    Immigrant parents and adolescents negotiating time and space
    Lynda Ashbourne, University of Guelph.
    Newcomer youth from five provinces: Exploration of challenges and coping strategies, by Susan Chuang, Sarah Rasmi, Maria Garces et al., University of Guelph.
    Understanding Violence and Healing: Voices of Racialized Young People in Vancouver and Toronto, by Neringa Kubiliene, Miu-Chung Yan, Sarah Maiter et al., University of British Columbia and York University.
    A Model of alcohol use among Latino adolescents: Exploring the influence of generational status, by Miriam Martinez, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
    The Settlement sector: The Profession, by Jacqueline McAdam and Caroline Lai, Global Trek.
    Inquiry in English with different proficiency: A Youth leadership program at Toronto’s Chinatown, by Yamin Qian, University of Toronto.
    Acculturation and family relationships: Uncovering the narratives of Chinese-Canadian immigrant youth, by Christine Tardif-Williams,
    Brock University.

    Afternoon Concurrent sessions:

    Promoting resilience in war-affected youth, with Chandi Fernando, University of Toronto.
    Stress and resilience among Liberian and Burundian refugee adolescents and their families, with Madeleine Currie, Hiro Yoshikawa, and Steven Weine, Harvard University.
    Impact of war on teaching and relations among teachers of Buduburam refugee camps in Ghana, with Salome Priase Otami, Christiane Noi-Akwei1 and Benjamin Aflakpui, Central University College, Cape Town, South Africa.
    Conceptualizations of resilience in refugee mental health, with Laura Simich and Wade Pickre, Ryerson University and Central for Addiction and Mental Health.
    Conceptual and methodological issues for studying immigrant child mental health and school achievement, with Katholiki Georgiades, Michael Boyle, and Kelly Fife, McMaster University.
    Diversity in action: Adapting mental health services in Canada, with Anne Dupré, Psychology Foundation of Canada.
    El Vaivén: Return migration and education in Puerto Rico and Mexico, with Sandra Soto-Santiago and Luis Moll, University of Arizona.
    Transnational entrepreneurship: Immigrant family perspective, with Benson Honig, McMaster University.

    4:00-4:30 Future directions & Concluding remarks

    To register, or if you have questions, contact: Dr. Susan Chuang, schuang@uoguelph.ca | 519-824-4120, ext. 58389.

  • In the name of culture, religion and tradition: Violence against women and girls

    The Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning Women and Women Living Under Muslim Laws has released a new study  by Shaina Greiff. No Justice in Justifications: Violence against Women in the Name of Culture, Religion and Tradition (PDF). From the study:

    “It is important to demystify the concepts of culture and religion, exposing the vested interests of those who claim to represent authen- ticity, and bringing to light alternative visions in order to protect womens human rights. As Ashish Nandy argues, the greatest tradition of all is the reinvention of tradition. This concept represents the key strategy of the Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning women: what oppresses women is the patriarchal reading of Islam, or any religion or culture, articulated and violently maintained by men in power. Women must reclaim and redefine their culture(s) as legitimate members of local and global communities”.

  • Naseeha: The Muslim kids help line

    Today’s Globe and Mail (G&M) reports on a story about a young Christian woman who converted to Islam as a teen, without her parent’s knowledge. She empathizes with Aqsa Parvez and other teens who are not in step with their parents beliefs. She wishes she had someone to talk to when she was navigating/negotiating her beliefs with her parents.
    The story tells us that such help is available: a help line, called Naseeha, or “advice” in Arabic has been in existence since 2005 and operates out of Mississauga. Ostensibly, like the Kids Help Phone line (est. 1989) the advice line provides advice and support, but specifically support to Muslim youth who are, according to the story experiencing “the pull between two worlds”. The now 27-year Muslim convert says the murder of Aqsa Parvez and other so-called “honour killings” are not Muslim issues, but cultural issues and that phone lines like Naseeha respond to the specific issues experienced by newcomer children and youth.
    If you surf over to Kids Help Phone, you can see that among the FAQ kids pose are questions related to discrimination, prejudice, diversity and inclusion. The G&M says that Tarek Fatah, a frequent critic of Fundamentalist Muslim practices in Canada, calls the advice line “anti-Western” and believes advice provided would be critical of Canadian ways.
    In response, the co-founder of Naseeha defends the need for a separate advice line: ‘You have a Mercedes, you take it to a Mercedes mechanic’. Further: “We lead them to the facts in the Koran, and to what they want to do. We don’t decide on someone’s behalf”.
    What do you think? Do immigrant/refugee children and youth need a separate advice help line?

  • Conference call: Migration and the global city, Toronto

    It looks like Ryerson University is working to launch a research institute devoted to immigration and settlement issues. Good luck to them. As part of this initiative, they are calling for proposals for a conference entitled “Migration and the Global City”. The conference, a launch to the proposed research centre, tentatively called the Ryerson Institute on Immigration and Settlement (RISS), will be held on the Ryerson campus from October 29-31, 2010.
    A call for papers has been released here. Of particular interest to immigrantchildren.ca, conference themes include; Children and Youth; Citizenship, Migration and Identity; Precarious and Temporary Status; and Settlement Services.
    The conference will feature a range of activities, including day-trips to local immigrant/settlement locations, a film-documentary screening and art-show, and a possible “CIHR-funded pre-conference on immigrant and refugee children and youth” (Source: Ryerson website). Ryerson – do let us know at immigrantchildren.ca how we can support this important inclusion!
    Deadline for abstract submission is June 15, 2010.