Sunday, April 23, 2023 | Special Advertising Section 1 R 18 SPONSORED CONTENT PROVIDED BY VOICES OF TOMORROW According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, children comprise 30% of the world’s population but 41% of all refugees. Some of these children and their families arrive in Seattle — carrying limited belongings and plentiful trauma. In response to war, loss of family, displacement, famine and other conditions, refugee children are at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and anger, according to a 2020 report in the Denver Journal of International Law and Policy. Worryingly, trauma can be passed down generationally — a parent’s stress transmits to the next generation and even the one after that. Uncertainty about the future only compounds the effects. A 2017 study on intergenerational trauma found that Somali refugee mothers who experienced significant trauma — in some cases, even torture — significantly impacted their children’s adjustment. Sustained stress can impact brain growth, impair learning, memory and response to future stress. However, a nurturing and stable environment can help to lessen the burden of stress — and that’s an approach one King County community organization is using to build stronger futures for immigrant and refugee children and families. The background of trauma Voices of Tomorrow started out serving 20 young children through a free, part-day program. Today it has grown to welcome more than 325 families through the world’s first Somali dual-language program, offering prekindergarten and preschool programs for low-income families. Another 120-plus children are served through affiliated programs. Support for displaced families builds stronger futures Voices of Tomorrow is a community-based organization serving child care providers and families in King County’s East African immigrant and refugee community. VOT’s mission is to preserve immigrant and refugee children’s identity through culturally and linguistically responsive child-focused programs. Learn more at tomorrowvoices.org. Of Washington state’s 1.14 million residents, a little over 6% were born in Africa, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Many newly arrived neighbors hail from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, and are displaced due to war, political unrest and famine — with trauma as a lasting result. For children, trauma stems from witnessing violence, lack of food and water, and missing out on education, according to the 2020 report. Children can become separated from caregivers while fleeing conflict and face unhealthy living conditions in transit. After arriving in a new country, children try to adapt to a new culture and learn a new language despite discrimination and harassment. A healing approach Community-based programs have proved to be particularly successful and efficient in providing a healing service to many refugee children and families. These programs serve many children at once while also wrapping in family interventions. Stable settlement and social support in a newcomer’s host country positively affect a child's psychological functioning. Seattle’s East African community prioritizes youth and youth services, with almost 40% of family members attending PTA meetings or otherwise participating at children’s schools. At VOT, certificated staff teach a research-based curriculum in a positive school climate and early childhood learning environment. High-quality dual-language early childhood education builds a strong foundation for future learning, behavior and health. One 2022 analysis showed better emotional health if refugee children land in an environment with supportive adults in school and at home and feel a sense of peer belonging. VOT increasingly weaves trauma knowledge, advocacy and healing practices throughout all departments and services; their Health Services Department director is a licensed mental health therapist specializing in trauma. Staff and families learn culturally responsive techniques to heal from trauma and stress, and staff can offer care plans and referrals. VOT staff visits families twice monthly to listen to and help with parent concerns. With local rent skyrocketing and dwindling facility space in South King County, VOT hopes to use donations to purchase a new space to carry out the early learning work elevating children’s lives. “We hope to increase the number of families being served in our mental and behavioral health and early learning programs,” says Sagal Jimale, the early learning program’s supervisor. Jimale started as a volunteer staff member and soon became a teacher, helping more than 300 children and families preserve the essence of identity and culture. Improving refugee youth's mental health and functioning benefits society as a whole — and even the globe, study authors point out. And it’s proving to be true at VOT. “Children we first started serving 10 years ago came back into the organization to volunteer in the agency as high schoolers,” Jimale says. Donate today! (Photos courtesy of Voices of Tomorrow)
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