Family Relationships

Strengthening parenting skills

Fondation Dora is supporting a project implemented by Save the Children in Swiss accommodation centres for asylum seekers. The goal is to help parents take better care of their children.

Parents are a child’s first resource. But refugee parents living in asylum centres are faced with many challenges. They have very little space for private family time and their daily life is strongly influenced by the precariousness of their situation. Moreover, these parents are often suffering from the psychological burdens of what they experienced in their countries and during their escape.

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The organisations that manage asylum centres do not have the necessary resources and do not offer specific programmes to support parents in creating an environment that is favourable to their children’s development. It is currently rare that any of the staff in these centres have received any socio-educational training or have experience in caring for the psychosocial needs of children and their families.

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Three training modules are offered to asylum centre staff who support parents from day to day. These modules are built upon an approach that includes stress management and strengthening the parental role, as well as developing educational skills. Workshops for parents are also held.

By strengthening the parental role, this project enables parents to better help their children manage stress and encourage their development, allowing them to grow up in an environment without violence.