TRANSITION OF CHILDREN TO THE FIRST DAY CARE – HOW DOES MIGRATION BACKGROUND INFLUENCE CHILDREN’S SETTLING PROCESS?

Authors

  • Michaela Ernstberger Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, bul. "Tsar Osvoboditel" 15, 1504, Sofia, Bulgaria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v8i1.3512

Keywords:

settling process in day care, children with migration background, settling of migrant children, early childhood education, transition process to day care

Abstract

This study investigates how children with and without migration background are settled in day care centers. The design of a gentle transition period from the family to the day care center together with parents and children is one of the indispensable quality criteria of early childhood education. The steadily increasing migration to Germany and thus also the number of families with migration background lead to the fact that more and more migrant children are settled in German day care centers. To examine how the migration background influences children’s settling process, I conduct interviews with head teachers of German day care centers. The results show that the head teachers are confronted with a variety of challenges by children with a migration background, which no longer represent an exception, but rather characterize everyday life. Successful settling requires good teamwork: internally with colleagues and externally with parents. In addition, there should always be a friendly and constructive level of communication that allows feedback, criticism and feelings. Decisive criteria for how a settling will go are the character of the child and the willingness of the parents to let go and cooperate. This applies regardless of whether it is a family with or without a migration background. The article provides several practical recommendations for successfully managing the transition process.

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Author Biography

  • Michaela Ernstberger, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, bul. "Tsar Osvoboditel" 15, 1504, Sofia, Bulgaria
    Michaela Ernstberger is doing her doctorate at the University of Sofia in the field of preschool education. This article is part of her dissertation on "Settling models and standards for children with a migration background in the German education system with a focus on the state of Bavaria".

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Published

2020-12-31

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2021)

Section

Articles

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