Project Researchers

Project Description

This study will identify the top five most pressing research and policy needs the CYRRC should focus on and fund. Using a method called the Delphi technique, specifically designed to make research and policy projections, a group of experts replies to rounds of questions based on feedback derived from previous rounds until a consensus is achieved.

In the first round, CYRRC members identified a range of research and policy priorities. These have been grouped into nine themes under research needs—Integration, Wellbeing, Education, Language, Economy, Family, Services, Identity Formation, and General. Under policy needs, eight themes emerged—Community Integration, Services, Family, Economy-Employment, Language, Education, Research, and General Policy. Starting research projects immediately on a variety of topics about refugee children and youth arose as the key policy priority. The second priority was studying refugee children and youth comparatively with children and youth of other migration streams, native-born Canadians, and across various refugee cohorts. The top priorities in each section are subject to change at the end of the second round, and again later as the experts converge on a consensus.

Project Findings

After two rounds of consulting, the academic, service provider and educational provider members of the CYRRC have identified the most pressing research and policy needs for refugee children and youth which they feel the Coalition, other researchers and policy makers should pursue. Although 91 specific research needs and 58 policy needs were identified, consensus emerged around the need to focus on five key areas:

  • Family level wellbeing and integration
  • Educational experiences and aspirations
  • Long-term, longitudinal, or life course outcomes
  • Mental health and experiences of bullying and discrimination
  • Coordinating ‘best practices,’ policies, and data

Although these five key areas group the insights offered by CYRRC members, the full list of research and policy needs offered (see Appendix A) is also a valuable resource to consult and may be used by researchers, service providers, and policymakers to pursue interventions, advocate, create policy, and pursue research opportunities. There is much work to do, and we hope this report helps facilitate it.

Project Report