“Life becomes about survival”: Resettlement, integration, and social services among refugee parents

Refugee service organizations offer critical support as refugee families heal and adapt; yet, little is known about how service providers understand the strengths and needs of refugee parents. Using qualitative research with service providers that included two focus groups and twelve in-depth interviews in a large United States city, this research explores service providers’ perspectives on stressors encountered by refugee parents; the mental health ramifications of parenting under such duress; resources and strategies refugee parents use to support children’s wellbeing; and the terrain of service delivery during the Trump era. Service providers described refugee parents faced considerable trauma in their home country and during flight. Providers described multiple problems their clients face during resettlement, including cultural adaptation; economic precarity; changing family dynamics; and xenophobia and racism – all of which influence parents’ availability, responsibilities, supervision, and disciplinary tactics. At the same time, results of our analysis suggest parents find strength through informal and social support, especially within the context of family, close informal networks, and responsive, strengths-based, and trauma informed service systems. Findings highlight potential foci for training and support to better assist professionals in addressing the needs of refugee families, and point to efforts to the need for advocacy to address the social, political, and economic contexts of refugee families and the service agencies who support them.