Every child is different. You instinctively know that.
Where it gets trickier is knowing how to address the unique needs of each child in your care—especially when dealing with the diverse cultural backgrounds, languages, and expectations of immigrant and refugee families.
Your role as a child care professional is to adapt and balance your program’s activities and routines to meet both individual child and group needs. These programming choices, as well as each child’s progress, should be communicated with parents to build strong partnerships and ease settlement into your program and their new country.
This section includes information on working with newcomer families to develop individualized programming. It also includes practical, hands-on ideas for programs, space set-up and activities:
Quick Tip Sheets
Quick reference, practical tip sheets relating to the programming for newcomers in child care programs
Expert Corner
Expert resources published by CMAS to help you build great programs and activities for the immigrant and refugee children in your care
External Resources
- Webinar: Extending the Book Experience: Strategies That Promote Language and Literacy in Dual Language Learners
- Planning a summer school-age program?
- Playing with Rainbows: A National Play Program for At-Risk Refugee Children is now available, free of charge!
- Webinar: Using Loose Parts to Create Culturally Sustainable Environments
External publications and helpful links available through the CMAS website on programs and activities for programs that serve newcomer children