Well-being Of Migrant Children Research Articles

Forced Child-Family Separations in the Southwestern US Border Under the “Zero-Tolerance” Policy: the Adverse Impact on Well-Being of Migrant Children (Part 2)

The article examines the situation of minors from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras who have been forcibly separated from their parents at the southwestern US border. It reviews international standards and national contexts regarding the rights of children and protection of families in the evolving human rights crisis. It draws from extensive research on the multidimensional effects of institutionalization and intercountry adoption, as well as the delivery of services to unaccompanied minors through refugee resettlement programs. It analyzes the well-being of this population, including their physical, emotional, psychological, and mental health, and developmental needs and socioeconomic condition. The article concludes that the zero-tolerance policy that resulted in forced family separation policy and their associated detention and resettlement practices violate the rights of children and have serious implications for the health and well-being of children and their families. It proposes recognition of well-being as a right of migrating children, which must be ensured in tandem with their safety and search for permanency to achieve the goals of the child welfare system in the USA.

Floating childhoods: Psychological and educational adaptations of migrant children in China

ABSTRACTThe large-scale internal migration from countryside to city over the past 30 years has transformed China’s demographic, social, economic, and educational landscapes. There were approximately 35.81 million children below age 18 living with their migrant parents in urban cities without local registration of permanent residence (Hukou). Migrant children and their families face many challenges in migrant destinations, such as discriminations, economic insecurity, educational inequality, lack of access to health care, and social exclusion. Migrant children face special difficulties in adapting to new environments, securing quality education, enjoying adequate parental attention, and living in adequate housing. Those children are often denied admission to urban public schools and have to attend schools created mainly for migrant children with insufficient educational resources and poor teacher quality. The migrant children who have the opportunity to attend public schools suffer discrimination from teachers and local urban-resident classmates. Family disadvantages and institutional barriers potentially undermine academic achievement and psychological wellbeing of migrant children. Developing policy and practice to address the critical needs of these children are not only important in itself because of the large number of migrant children involved, but also essential for the future of urban China.

China's Great Migration and the Prospects of a More Integrated Society

During the last three decades, China has experienced the largest migration in human history. China's great migration has had transformative social, economic, and demographic consequences for China and the world. In this review, first I provide background on China's household registration system (hukou), which has been in existence since the late 1950s and continues to affect the life chances of Chinese people. Then I focus on the great migration by discussing research that has examined its causes, migration trends, the adaptation/assimilation of migrants in urban China, the well-being of migrant children, and migration's impact on rural China. Finally, I identify key areas for future research and argue that China's great migration holds major promise to contribute to the literature on migration studies.

Academic Achievement and Loneliness of Migrant Children in China: School Segregation and Segmented Assimilation

China's rural-urban migration presents a significant educational challenge. This study uses theories of segmented assimilation and school segregation to measure the assimilation and well-being of migrant children who attend either Beijing's public schools or its informal migrant schools. Controling for other factors, we find poorer achievement and greater loneliness among migrant children who are isolated in migrant schools than similar migrant students enrolled in regular urban public schools. We show there is little difference in learning outcome or loneliness between urban native children and migrant children who attend public schools. We further discuss similarities and differences between the experiences of migrant children in China and immigrant children in the United States.

The Burden of Difference? School Welfare Personnel’s and Parents’ Views on Wellbeing of Migrant Children in Finland

The school welfare system faces a challenge in the linguistically and culturally diversifying school. This article examines how school welfare personnel, native language teachers, and migrant parents conceptualize the wellbeing of migrant children in Finland. The data analyzed by thematic content analysis consists of group and individual interviews of a total of 47 persons: nurses, psychologists, social workers, a headmaster, special education teachers, native language teachers, and migrant parents in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The school welfare professionals and migrant parents views stressed different factors as risks and resources of migrant childrens wellbeing. In school welfare personnels view, school wellbeing is secured by downplaying difference between children of diverse cultural backgrounds; moreover, they do not see negative attitudes, discrimination, or bullying of migrant children as a particular problem. Migrant parents and native language teachers in turn consider or at least fear their childrens wellbeing to be jeopardized by social exclusion, prejudice or discrimination. The school personnel find it difficult to recognize the power imbalance between minorities and the national majority that lies behind these different conceptualizations. This reduces trust and impedes the cooperation of migrant homes and school, particularly in situations when an intervention is imperative for securing child wellbeing.

Migrant children—a challenge for European paediatricians

Each year, tens of thousands of children seek asylum in Europe. Irregular immigration, family reunification programmes and labour migrants contribute additional large populations to the migrant scene in Europe. Paediatricians struggle to find solutions to their needs of health and medical care within different societal and political contexts on a common platform of children's rights and medical ethics. Conclusions: Migrant children have important health and protection needs. Paediatricians can improve the health and well‐being of migrant children by assuring access to paediatric healthcare regardless of the child's legal status. Paediatricians can play an important role in advocating for migrant children in their local community, through concerted activities of national paediatric societies, and through the international paediatric community. National paediatric societies need to put migrant children high on their agenda in discussions with policy and decision makers. Initiatives are needed to create platforms within the international paediatric community where practical strategies to the multitude of issues touched upon by migrant children can be exchanged and international advocacy organized.

Migrant children--a challenge for European paediatricians

Each year, tens of thousands of children seek asylum in Europe. Irregular immigration, family reunification programmes and labour migrants contribute additional large populations to the migrant scene in Europe. Paediatricians struggle to find solutions to their needs of health and medical care within different societal and political contexts on a common platform of children's rights and medical ethics. Migrant children have important health and protection needs. Paediatricians can improve the health and well-being of migrant children by assuring access to paediatric healthcare regardless of the child's legal status. Paediatricians can play an important role in advocating for migrant children in their local community, through concerted activities of national paediatric societies, and through the international paediatric community. National paediatric societies need to put migrant children high on their agenda in discussions with policy and decision makers. Initiatives are needed to create platforms within the international paediatric community where practical strategies to the multitude of issues touched upon by migrant children can be exchanged and international advocacy organized.