Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/3097
Title: Transition to child care for children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Contributor(s): Sims, Margaret  (author)orcid ; Hutchins, Teresa (author)
Publication Date: 2001
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/3097
Abstract: Children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are particularly vulnerable to stress when beginning child care. High stress levels not only impact on children's transition into child care, but can have undesirable long-term consequences if not handled appropriately. In Australia, there is provision for specialist personnel (called bicultural support workers in this study) to facilitate the transition into care of children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This paper reports data from interviews with parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds whose children attended child care, caregivers in centres who worked with children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and bicultural support workers. Recommendations are made for quality practice during the transition phase into child care services for children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. For young children the transition between home and child care is a difficult process. Child care represents a new environment, with new people, new routines, new play opportunities and unknown peers. Ensuring the transition is a positive experience is crucial for children's development. Children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds enter child care unfamiliar with many components of Australian culture and child-rearing practices. The environment is unfamiliar and often they cannot communicate with the adults and children they encounter, especially if verbal and non-verbal communication are different between cultural groups. Play experiences may also be new to them, and for some children there may not be one aspect of the environment (human and physical) which is familiar. This means there is a much higher risk that children from CALD backgrounds will experience a difficult transition into child care. A difficult transition experience means children are likely to feel less secure and more stressed, which may lead to difficulties participating in learning opportunities. They may also be less likely to develop secure attachments to caregivers, which puts them at risk of social isolation and developmental disadvantage. Recent biological research indicates that children experiencing high stress levels are more at risk of impaired neurological development. Facilitating positive transition experiences for children from CALD backgrounds is important. This study investigates transition for children from CALD backgrounds, and makes recommendations for practice.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 26(3), p. 7-11
Publisher: Early Childhood Australia Inc
Place of Publication: Australia
ISSN: 0312-5033
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 200209 Multicultural, Intercultural and Cross-cultural Studies
150499 Commercial Services not elsewhere classified
160809 Sociology of Education
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 930199 Learner and Learning not elsewhere classified
940105 Childrens/Youth Services and Childcare
939999 Education and Training not elsewhere classified
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Publisher/associated links: http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/australian_journal_of_early_childhood.html
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Education

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