How does it work?

Parent Champions are parent volunteers who give a few hours a week to talk to other parents about childcare and other local services available to families. Parent Champions for Migrants and Refugees schemes support migrant and refugee parents to connect with the local services that can help their children make new friends and prepare for school as well as support parents to work. These services often include early education and childcare, language classes, training and education activities for parents and encouragement to participate in local family friendly events and spaces. Supporting migrant and refugee parents during their child’s early years provides parents with an excellent opportunity to form relationships with other local parents, helping them to support each other and their children.

Why Parent Champions?

Parent Champions volunteering for a Parent Champions for Migrants and Refugee scheme are migrant and refugee parents themselves who have been motivated by their own experience of local services to support other parents. Speaking the same languages and having a personal understanding of migrant and refugee parents’ experiences, Parent Champions are able to share their own positive experience of local services in a relatable, trusted and informal way. They often meet with local parents at schools, children’s centres, doctor surgeries, libraries and community get together’s.