Our Knowledge Exchange committee has agreed to partner and support Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), formerly Ryerson, in one of its current research studies led by Dr. Henry Parada and his research team. The purpose of this three-year study, Arab Refugee Families’ Experiences in the Ontario Child Welfare System, is to explore the intersection of Arab refugee families’ settlement processes and child welfare interventions.
The study comes in response to concerns flagged by Arab refugee parents around fears of child welfare involvement, negative interactions with child welfare workers, and the apprehension of Arab refugee families interacting with child welfare services in Ontario. The study will be conducted by researchers from TMU with support from Muslim Children’s Aid and Support Services in addition to PRSN. The guiding research questions include – what are the experiences of Arab families in their interaction with the Ontario Child Welfare system, and what factors increase the possibility of child welfare involvement for Arab refugee families in Ontario. The study will use focus groups and individual family interviews. There will also be community engagement sessions following data collection to gain feedback on the preliminary research findings. The researchers want to collaboratively develop appropriate recommendations to be included in the final report which will be shared in English and Arabic.
The study findings will have implications for social work policies and practice in working with Arab refugee families involved in the child welfare system and offer a broader cultural and structural context for better understanding. PRSN will be looking for sponsors who have settled Arab families with children to participate in the research. Watch for the information about how to help in an announcement coming to your email inbox.