COVID-19 Research
In 2020, CYRRC recognized that refugee children, youth, and families may experience the impacts of COVID-19 in unique ways and be especially vulnerable to the financial, social, and health strains of the pandemic. Service provider organizations have also adapted their service delivery models in innovative ways. CYRRC funded five projects to create a knowledge base, inform best practices for future policy and programming, and document the ways refugee children, youth, and families are responding to the pandemic.
Understanding the impacts of COVID-19 on refugee children, youth & families
Refugee children, youth, and families may be especially vulnerable to the financial, social, and health strains of COVID-19. CYRRC is studying the impacts of the pandemic on this population, as well as how service providers have responded to their changing needs.
Weathering the Storm: Engaging Refugee Families During the COVID-19 Self-Isolation
Stacey Wilson-Forsberg and Oliver Masakure are partnering with Adventure 4 Change (A4C) to look at how refugee families are coping with the challenges associated with COVID-19 — specifically the loss of access to important services such as A4C. This project aims to connect families virtually with A4C’s resources and build capacity to respond in coordinated and caring ways to future crises.
Strategies for Reaching Hard-to-Reach Populations in Health Emergencies in Montréal
Nicole Ives and colleagues are partnering with Montreal City Mission to explore how public health messaging impacts refugee families. The research team hopes to assess which current public health information strategies are most effective with newcomer communities, and how to ameliorate the gaps in the COVID-19 response for newcomers.
Mental Health of Refugee and Immigrant Youth During COVID-19
Reza Nakhaie and colleagues are partnering with the YMCA of Western Ontario to explore how government policies and regulations around COVID-19 have affected the mental health of refugee youth. The project aims to better understand the role of the family, socioeconomic status, social networks, and human and social capital in newcomer youth’s subjective health and psychological experiences with COVID-19.
Impacts of COVID-19 on Newcomer-Serving Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) in Canada
Howard Ramos is partnering with the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) to study challenges faced and adaptations made by ISANS to meet client needs during COVID-19. This project aims to develop best practices regarding service delivery, which can be extended to other SPOs and inform practices post-pandemic restrictions.
Communicating Through COVID-19: Experiences of Multilingual Families who are Refugees
Andrea MacLeod is partnering with the Multicultural Health Brokers of Edmonton to examine refugee parents’ perspectives on their children’s language development. The project aims to provide individualized support during COVID-19 and offer suggestions for building moments for communication to fit within the daily routines of refugee families.
Learn more about these projects on our website
Findings for these projects are expected in 2022. Keep an eye on our social media, become a CYRRC member, and sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. www.cyrrc.org
