Constructing early childhood services as culturally credible trauma-recovery environments: participatory barriers and enablers for refugee families

This holistic cross-sectoral study explored barriers and enablers to access and participation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services for refugee families with three-to-five-year-old children living in Queensland, Australia. Constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology honoured the lived experience of participants through their words and stories. Data was obtained through interviews and focus groups with 55 participants consisting of 29 parents and 26 early childhood practitioners (ECPs) from seven community-based agencies. Findings indicate that most refugee families did not participate in quality ECEC, with key areas of exclusion being poverty, language, ethno-cultural discrimination, cultural divergence and trauma. Non-enrolment of children was indicative of systemic barriers, such as prohibitive fees. Withdrawal or exclusion once enrolled suggested that educators were not adequately prepared to work with refugees. Refugee families require services that foster culturally safe and secure environments; promote language rights; and implement trauma-informed, anti-discriminatory, culturally sustaining pedagogies.