Welcoming Families From Around the World

Zimbabwe is my country of origin                    

As soon as I found out that I was gaining a family from Zimbabwe, I would research the area in which the family was coming from and learn as much as possible about their culture.  I would begin learning about the child’s access to education and health care opportunities so that I can have some form of foundation to build from.   I would advocate for help and support from community resources that can help the family in any way possible to include health, education, housing and other resources available to them.   I would begin to learn about their language and culture traditions so that I am able to incorporate some of them within the environment before they arrive.   Once I collect my data, I would share with the children during group time about our new family while teaching them about Zimbabwe and their language.   I would add pictures of Zimbabwe on the walls in the classroom along with labels written in the Zimbabwe language if other than English. 

My hope is that by being proactive in preparing for the family’s arrival, I am able to eliminate some of the distress the family may encounter due to their transitioning to a new country, with new values, rules and traditions.  I would prepare the children and their families in hopes that they will welcome the family as well.  I want the family to feel included and respected upon their arrival.  I hope that having resources available to them will better equip them with the tools needed to experience a positive outcome living in the United States.   By building this alliance between the family from Zimbabwe and the community at large, we can put a stop to inequitable treatment of this family before it begins; thus, benefiting everyone involved.