Research Library

Location

NA

Community organizations

Zimbabwe Cultural Society of Alberta

Africa Centre

Catholic Social Services

Key recommendations

Need for expanded integration of language services within health systems to facilitate provision of informational, affirmational, and emotional support to refugee new parents

Future research is needed

Key findings

New parents among refugees reported isolation and loneliness. They lacked support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum and had limited interactions with people from similar cultural backgrounds.

Main needs of refugee new parents:

• Family support
• Culturally sensitive support
• Emotional support

• Instrumental support (support in

  child-raising and household management postpartum)

• Information support
• Affordable child care
• Support accessing services – raising awareness about existing programs

Key populations

Zimbabwean and Sudanese refugee new parents; service providers and policy influencers/makers

Gaps identified

Lack of support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum and had limited interactions with people from similar cultural backgrounds.

Integration timeline

At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?

arrival in Canada in the last 60 months

Open-access – No