Welcoming Families From Around the World

As a early childhood professional are working in an early childhood setting.You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you now nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family,in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.”

I chose the country of Hungary, Hungary is located in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe. I believe to in order to truly help this child/family, I want to first learn about their country's food, customs and belief before I can do anything else. I want to help them  feel comfortable in their new environment. I want to learn their customs upon greeting others so that they don't get offended. 

I would make them feel comfortable fixing food that is similar to what the family eat or are used to, such as Hungarian cuisine, goulash and chicken paprika, but their food are associated with much more.  I would also try to find little artifacts that are from their country such as clothing, pictures, and others.  I would also create a photo album with picture of their country so they can have things are related to what they are used to. I would try to learn Hungarian (Magyar) language by purchasing the Rosetta Stone series. I think all of this strategies will help the family feel welcomed.

As an early childhood professional, I would see if there is anyone in the community who is able to help the family by translating their language and I would take the family to local markets, schools, community events so that they can feel a part of the community in which they are in. 

I would encourage the local school that the child will be attending to make their classroom as culturally sensitive as possible with poster, pictures, books, artifacts that are welcoming and inviting.