Posted on 16/12/2019

Individualised support for migrant families in Geneva

Europe is home to roughly 3 million recognized refugees, with almost 100,000 of that population in Switzerland. Around 6% of Switzerland’s asylum seeker and refugee population live in Geneva; this includes families with children—mostly single-parent—adults on their own, and unaccompanied minors. Although there are official structures in place to support this population, there are still many challenges to negotiate: unemployment, isolation, and a lack of follow-up at different stages of integration. 

Fondation Dora is supporting a new programme in Geneva whose goal is to welcome and support migrant families with small children (0 to 4 years old). The programme, coordinated by Carrefour, Orientation, Solidarité (COS) offers participants an educational and interactive welcome space, activities to support the integration and preparation of migrant children entering the Swiss school system, as well as French language support and other parent-child activities.  

COS focuses on families, providing intensive support that takes the requests and goals of each member of the family into account, thus creating individualised help for overall well-being. 

COS is a non-profit public-welfare association. Its goal is to assist migrant families in Geneva using a transcultural approach and by focusing on three main areas: parent-child support, education and training, psycho-social wellbeing.