Building Meaningful Relationships for Refugee Children : Exploring the different practices that professionals in Swedish preschools perform to facilitate refugee children’s development and well-being

Abstract: In recent years, a large number of refugees have migrated to many different countries. The migrations are due to conflicts, war and poverty: Migrants are leaving their homes in search of more peaceful havens. Sweden has been one of the countries receiving the largest number of refugees in Europe. As a consequence, the arrival of refugees has an impact on the country’s ability to adapt to serve the refugees’ needs. This study focuses on refugee children, who can be highly affected by their past traumatic experiences and different resettlement processes. The research studies the importance of building meaningful relationships for refugee children in the preschool, in order to encourage and facilitate their development. In this research, the term “meaningful relationship” is understood as a healthy relationship with someone that shows care, support and encourages individual growth. The study is based in attachment theory, which describes the children’s natural need to seek adult’s support, security and trust. This theory explains how strong relationships and support, encourages children’s development and well-being. In this research study, the different relationships studied are: the ones between the educators and the refugee children; between educators and refugee children’s parents; between refugee children with the rest of the children in the preschool. This was accomplished through semi-structured interviews with four educators in different Swedish preschools, exploring their practices and experiences with newly arrived refugee children. Findings show educators’ perspectives considering the different aspects of pedagogy to address in order to promote the creation of more meaningful relationships in all three of these diads. These aspects of pedagogy that affect in the creation of more meaningful relationships are: introduction weeks, the preschool environment, the language barriers and addressing refugees’ past experiences. The study provides different methods and strategies shared by the educators that are applicable to preschools’ daily practices, as a means of facilitating refugee children’s childhood and development.