Partnering with Parents and Families to Support Immigrant and Refugee Children at School

Immigrant families have high aspirations for their children to succeed in the American schools, however about a quarter of immigrant students end up dropping out before the end of high school. Building a home-school partnership to recognize mental health issues could lead to a lower drop-out rate and eventually be a technique for all immigrant children that struggle in school. Since the rate of immigration increases each year, (researchers believe children from immigrant families will be 30 percent of American students in 2015), learning to help these children is the main focus.

To expedite the process of integrating more immigrant students and create comfort, schools are implementing mental health services, that include tutors and speakers of their native language, so the students do not fall behind. These mental health services require much collaboration integrating between schools, teachers, counselors, principals, and family members.