Improving outcomes for young children in refugee families: Lessons from Somali parents’ experience of play and social interaction opportunities in the UK

Project aims

This study aimed to understand more about migrant Somali families’ experiences of play and social interaction opportunities in the UK, to inform ways to improve outcomes for young children in disadvantaged migrant families.

What we did

We interviewed six Somali mothers in Bristol, asking about their experience of early (pre-school) childhood in the UK and Somalia, and what they saw as facilitating or restricting children’s early opportunities for play, social interaction and development.

What we found and what this means

In Somalia, the mothers described:

• the environment creating a structure where children can play and learn
• a sense of safety for children to play and explore outdoors (familiar and trusted neighbours and few hazards, despite the history of armed conflict)
• adults taking responsibility to set boundaries and ensure all children’s safety
• older children keeping watch on younger ones as well as organising their activities.

Despite the conflict in Somalia, this structure of shared understanding and support created a sense of safety and freedom that facilitated play, social interaction and children’s increasing maturity.

By contrast, in the UK, they described multiple constraints on children’s play ad social interaction:

• poor housing with minimal communal space or shared facilities, limiting social interaction or hospitality
• poor access to outside play spaces
• lack of knowledge and language skills to navigate services in the UK
• lack of financial, material and social resources
• safety fears (traffic, abuse, intervention by authorities) leading to adulty supervision for all activities outside. multiple local stresses constrained children’s opportunities to play and interact.

What next?

Our findings show how disadvantage can impair early child development in migrant Somali families. Understanding and improving neighbourhood geography, as experienced and shaped by parents and children, seem important for promoting early child development in refugee families. Social isolation and lack of safe places to play are key points to address.

We have created a policy briefing which includes recommendations for local authorities – particularly those with large Somali populations – and community health services to consider.