Notes
Locations: Edmonton and Calgary
Key populations: African refugee parents who now live in Alberta
Community organizations: n/a
Key recommendations:
1) Account for differences in marital status of parents in childcare policy changes affecting African refugees, as parenting experiences of participants differed between single and married parents.
2) Develop diverse, culturally-appropriate childcare options.
3) Recruit and train frontline workers that represent the African refugee community.
4) Broaden the operational hours and flexibility of childcare services to account for limited choice in selecting work hours.
5) Consider where community events are already happening when planning childcare services (e.g. churches).
6) Increase government subsidies for childcare.
Integration timeline: not defined
Future research / gaps identified:
Interviews were completed pre-COVID-19, and does not account for COVID-19 related changes that may have occurred in this population and/or their parenting practices and experiences.
Key findings:
3 main themes were found, alongside 9 sub-themes:
1) Raising children according to gendered experiences and expectations
a) Aspirations for children’s education
b) Ways of relating and interactions
2) Gendered division and shifts in labour among African refugee men and women
a) Disruptions to men’s role as the primary breadwinner
b) Impacts of childcare on women’s educational and work pursuits
c) Striving to find work-life balance through childcare supports
3) Men and women’s views and use of parenting support systems
a) Gendered experiences with parenting support systems
b) Suggestions from men and women for parenting supports
c) Significance of communal parenting
d) Support in handling cases of domestic violence