SUCCESS FACTORS OF SETTLING CHILDREN WITH MIGRATION BACKGROUND IN DAY CARE CENTERS – A SURVEY STUDY IN GERMANY

This study examines which factors influence the settling of children with migration background. Settling refers to the process of transitioning young children from the family to out-of-home care in day care centers. Children must become accustomed to the new facility and generally to the changed overall situation. Prior literature examines settling in general, but there is a lack of evidence on what factors influence the success of settling for children with migration background. As migration flows increase worldwide, this topic is of great relevance. This study examines the settling of children with migration background in Germany, which has a long history as a country of immigration. I conducted a survey with 112 teachers of day care centers to investigate causes of successful settlings of children with and without migration background. The answers of the respondents show that there are hardly any differences between children with and without migration background. Thus, the results refute the widespread assumption that children are generally different from German children and that settling need therefore to be different. Rather, the settling process depends on the character of the child and the attitude of the parents, as well as the resulting intensity of the bond between parents and child. The study also shows that differences exist with regard to communication with parents with migration background. Therefore, the conversations with parents with migration background should take place more often and for a longer period of time. For the teachers, experiences with other cultures are exciting, but only if the proportion of children with migration background is at a medium level.