From Thailand to the United States

     As a child care specialist for North Carolina’s Children’s Hospital I have been asked to make preparation for 50 Hmong Children who will be arriving in the United States in 30 days from a Refugee Camp located in Thailand. Two former refugees who are now married relocated to the United States and have started a group home for displaced Hmong children refugee children.

     The living conditions in the refugee camp have been poor with over 43,000 people living in less than one mile. There are no toilets, no adequate water for bathing, no clinics for the sick, no jobs, no land to grow food and no way of getting money.

     The ages of these children will vary from 2 years old to 5 years old. In order to prepare the staff for the coming of these children I have set in motion a plan to help make their transition to the United States run smoothly.

·       Since we have their adoptive parents here in the United States I would first have them to meet with everyone in the children’s department who will be involved with these children. In this meeting we will discuss ways to better serve these children as well as learning basic words that these children will understand in their own language.

·       Next it will be important to meet with the head of the dietary department to implement a meal plan that will gradually introduce the children to American food while still allowing them enjoy their native food.

·       These children have never seen a toilet, running water, people who look different from them, spoken English or heard English so this will all be new to the. I will put a welcoming committee together that will basically and gradually introduce these children to a modern way of life. We do not want the children to become fearful so we will move at a slow pace.

·       Since these children will be living in the United States they will need to learn Basic English so there will be teachers who will begin to teach them English.

·       It is going to be very important to have their adoptive parents on hand during this two week period. The children will be able to relate to them, they look like them, they talk like them and they eat food that they like. This will give the children a sense of home and their culture.

     These preparations hopefully will allow the children to make a smooth transition from the refugee camp to their new home. After leaving the hospital I have been asked to continue to follow and assist the adoptive parents and children for the next three months. My job as a childcare professional will be to direct an onsite child care center for the children to begin preschool.

   

References

    UNC Health Care

    http://www.ncchildrenshospital.org/news/usnews/rankings12-13   

    The Refugee experience in Thialand

    http://www.cal.org/co/hmong/hthai.html