Support Networks Among Immigrant Parents of Young Children: Assessing Ecologies to Inform Outreach Efforts

• In Event: Supporting Immigrant and Multilingual Families

Abstract

To inform tailored outreach and support for more families of young children (birth to age 5), we must improve understanding of strengths, needs, and perceptions among parental caregivers who identify as first and second-generation immigrants to the United States. As part of a multi-phase exploratory analysis, our team of interdisciplinary educational researchers disseminated an expert-reviewed survey to bilingual, immigrant parents (n = 54) in a mid-Atlantic urban community. This proposal focuses on the extent to which this sample connects with and feels supported by formal and informal stakeholders. We also examined factors that may correlate with willingness to seek child-related advice and/or emotional support in a sample of parental caregivers under-represented in the literature. Findings and implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Nicole Megan Edwards, Rowan University

• Zeynep Isik-Ercan, Rowan University

• Huan-Tang Lu, Rowan University

• Latifa Sebti, Rowan University