Looking through the lens: a photovoice study examining access to services for newcomer children

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Canadian new immigrant families (also known as newcomers) encounter challenges navigating systems when trying to access programmes critical for their children’s healthy development. The purpose of this study is to understand how newcomer families find and use early childhood programmes and services from the perspective of families and early childhood educators (ECEs) working within a settlement organization.

Methods

Using photovoice methodology, newcomer family members (n = 8) with young children and ECEs (n = 6) participated in a series of virtual workshops to share photos and reflect on their experiences.

Results

Participants discussed the systemic barriers that obstructed newcomer families’ access to services for young newcomer children. Financial challenges due to unemployment/underemployment, language and cultural differences were emphasized. Despite these barriers and challenges, participants shared how culturally responsive programmes enhanced their connections to programmes and services. Both groups of participants discussed the critical role of social networks in supporting newcomers to use programmes by helping families become aware of available services and assistance with various processes such as registration.

Conclusions

This research illustrates the lived experiences of newcomer families and identifies opportunities to address inequities, improve early childhood programmes, and enhance families’ access to programmes and services.

KEYWORDS:

• Newcomer families
• newcomer children
• early childhood educators
• early childhood programs
• culturally responsive
• photovoice

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank families and educators for sharing their experiences and insights with our research team and to the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia with their support for this research. Thanks also to Alison Brown for her early support in the foundation of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Geolocation information

This research was conducted in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by an Insight Development Grant from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (grant #44-0-140248) and was undertaken in part with support from the Canada Research Chairs program.

Notes on contributors

Nahal Fakhari

Nahal Fakhari is a PhD Student at Dalhousie University and a Research Coordinator with the Early Childhood Collaborative Research Centre at Mount Saint Vincent University. Fakhari holds an MA in Health Promotion from Dalhousie University and a BA in Child and Youth Study (honours) from Mount Saint Vincent University.

Jessie-Lee D. McIsaac

Jessie-Lee McIsaac is an Associate Professor within the Faculty of Education and Department of Child and Youth Study at Mount Saint Vincent University. McIsaac holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Early Childhood: Diversity and Transitions and directs the Early Childhood Collaborative Research Centre which engages families, as well as partners in policy and practice, in research to enhance early childhood well-being. She has completed a PhD in Public Health and an MSc in Health Promotion, both from the University of Alberta, and a BSc in Kinesiology from Dalhousie University.

Rebecca Feicht

Rebecca Feicht is a Senior Instructor of Health Promotion in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University. Spencer holds an Interdisciplinary PhD, an MA in Health Promotion, and a BSc in Kinesiology, all from Dalhousie University.

Sarah Reddington

Sarah Reddington is an Associate Professor in Child and Youth Study at Mount Saint Vincent University. She holds a BPE/BEd and an MEd (Inclusive Focus) from Acadia University and a PhD from the University of South Australia.

Susan Brigham

Susan Brigham is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at Mount Saint Vincent University. Susan’s research interests include migration, adult education, teacher education, Africentricity, Critical Race Theory, and arts-informed research methodologies.

April Mandrona

April Mandrona is an Associate Professor and the developer of the new Masters of Art in Art Education program at NSCAD University. She received her doctorate in Art Education from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, and was a SSHRC postdoctoral fellow at McGill University in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education.

Christine McLean

Christine McLean is an Associate Professor at the Department of Child and Youth Study at Mount Saint Vincent University. McLean received her PhD in Applied Psychology and Human Development from OISE, University of Toronto. She has a M. Ed in Early Childhood Education from the University of Cincinnati, a B.Ed from Acadia University, and a Bachelor of Child Study from Mount Saint Vincent University.

Mary Jane Harkins

Mary Jane Harkins is a Professor in the Faculty of Education, Mount Saint Vincent University. She received her PhD in Educational Foundations from Dalhousie University, a Masters in Early Childhood Education and a Masters in School Administration from Kean University, New Jersey, a BEd from Mount Saint Vincent and a BA from St Francis Xavier University.

Emma Stirling Cameron

Emma Stirling-Cameron was a Research Coordinator at the Early Childhood Collaborative Research Centre at Mount Saint Vincent University. Stirling Cameron is also a recent graduate of the Master of Arts in Health Promotion program at Dalhousie University. She completed her BSc (honours) at Dalhousie University in Psychology.