Evans Kerri, Hasson Robert G, Teixeira Samantha, Fitchett Virginia, Crea Thomas M
School of Social Work, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Cir, 21250 Baltimore, MD USA.
Department of Social Work, Providence College, Providence, RI USA.
Child Adolesc Social Work J. 2022 Jul 17:1-14. doi: 10.1007/s10560-022-00842-8.
While many studies address immigrant integration, few focus on the adjustment process for unaccompanied immigrant children in foster care in the United States- and even fewer look at community level prevention and intervention strategies for positive youth adjustment. This study uses a human rights framework to examine community level facilitators- both prevention and interventions- that aid the adjustment for unaccompanied immigrant children in foster care as they navigate life in the US.
Seventy-nine service providers that work with unaccompanied immigrant children participated in 22 focus groups/interviews. Open coding was used to create a codebook, and then data were qualitatively analyzed using deductive and axial coding.
The major prevention strategies for community adjustment include welcoming communities and inter-agency collaborations. The major intervention strategies for systems level adjustment include community relationships, access to healthcare, and the church as an institution.
Implications include advocating for funding and programming to support mentors for every child, advocating for welcoming policies, and engaging unaccompanied immigrant children in research using participatory approaches.
虽然许多研究关注移民融入问题，但很少有研究聚焦于美国寄养环境中无人陪伴移民儿童的适应过程，而关注社区层面促进青少年积极适应的预防和干预策略的研究更少。本研究采用人权框架来审视社区层面的促进因素——包括预防和干预措施——这些因素有助于无人陪伴移民儿童在美国生活期间在寄养环境中实现适应。
79名与无人陪伴移民儿童合作的服务提供者参与了22个焦点小组/访谈。采用开放式编码创建编码手册，然后使用演绎编码和轴心编码对数据进行定性分析。
社区适应的主要预防策略包括友好社区和机构间合作。系统层面适应的主要干预策略包括社区关系、医疗保健服务可及性以及教会这一机构。
研究启示包括倡导提供资金和制定方案以支持为每个儿童配备导师，倡导实行友好政策，以及采用参与式方法让无人陪伴移民儿童参与研究。
