Psychosocial Care Services for Children in Transnational Families

Bozic, Aleksandar

With increasing migration, transnational families (TNFs)—families with members in different countries—are becoming more common. TNFs present challenges for children, who face separation from parents due to distance and borders, impacting welfare policy and practice (Mazzucato & Ditto, 2018). These children may encounter multifaceted challenges related to parental separation, language barriers, and cultural adjustment (Eremenko & González‐Ferrer, 2018). Children who left behind and those who left their country of origin face significant social, psychological and socio-political implications. Public welfare professionals often lack the expertise or face legal and policy barriers to address the specific needs of children in TNFs. The absence of well-defined policies considering intercultural elements further complicates service provision for this group of children, especially in countries with inadequate institutional responses (Caarls et al., 2018).

Despite these challenges, existing literature lacks comprehensive exploration of psychosocial and care services for children and youth in TNFs, necessitating further investigation.

Methodology: This scoping review, organized within the Working Group 2 of COST Action “Transnational Family Dynamics in Europe (TraFaDy),” involves 13 researchers from universities in Albania, Cyprus, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. The review aims to map the literature, identify essential characteristics and dimensions of services, and analyze knowledge gaps.

Main Research Question: What are the scope and characteristics of existing research on psychosocial and care services for children in transnational families?

Inclusion Criteria: Peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in English, published between 2014 and 2024, were screened using Scopus, Web of Science, and Academic Search Premier. The three stages of screening process identified 150 articles and book chapters for full review.

Findings: A narrative approach will chart the results, identifying the literature scope and essential characteristics of psychosocial and care services for children in TNFs. These insights can inform research, policies, and practices related to children in the migration field.