Supporting early years transitions for children with refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds: A scoping review

Supporting early years transitions for children with refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds: A scoping review

Moving to a new early years education and care service or into the first year of school is a major milestone for many families, but families with refugee and asylum-seeker status can face a unique combination of challenges with these transitions. More information is needed to support early years educators’ professional understandings of these children’s and families’ needs and to shape effective systemic responses. A scoping literature review of peer-reviewed academic literature published between January 2000 and August 2021 was conducted following Arksey and O’Malley (2005). The review focused on families with refugee and asylum-seeker status and their experiences with transitions into preschools, daycare services, kindergarten and primary/elementary school. It also scoped the literature for educational system and educator supports for transitioning children with refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds. A search protocol was developed and resulted in the collection of 121 articles which were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed. The international academic literature revealed a range of enablers and barriers that affect transitions of children and families with refugee and asylum-seeker status into early years education and care services and schools. Many of the barriers can be addressed through educator and systemic support.

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