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Abstract

This paper aims to present a brief profile of divorced and separated Filipino men and women and examine their living arrangements across selected characteristics. Results show that those who experienced marital dissolution at younger ages are more likely to live in an extended household, while divorced and separated Filipinos who are in the middle age groups tend to live in a single-parent household. At older ages, divorced and separated Filipinos are more likely to live in an extended household. Moreover, divorced and separated men, those with low level of education, those in the labour force, those living in non-city and who are non-migrants are more likely to live in a one-person household or a single-parent household. On the other hand, divorced and separated women, those with higher level of education, those not in the labour force, those who are migrants and non-Muslims are more likely to live in an extended household. In addition, households with large number of own children are more likely to be single-parent households rather than extended households.

Little is known about the living arrangements of first- and second-generation immigrant children. Using data from the Current Population Survey and a multivariate approach, I compared living arrangements of immigrant children to U.S.-born white children with U.S.-born parents. Findings show, except for foreign-born black and some Hispanic children, that foreign-born children lived with married parents more frequently than did U.S.-born white children with U.S.-born parents. However, by the third generation, a pattern emerged showing a decline in living with married parents among some immigrant children and a rise in living with single parents. The noticeable "downward assimilation" among some second- and third-generation immigrant children fits a theory of segmented assimilation and is concerning because single-parent families confront more social problems and sociodemographic risks.

The mental health of children seeking asylum and their families is a somewhat neglected area of research. Research on refugee children and children living with adversities suggests that environmental factors are crucial in preventing mental health problems. This study aims at identifying central environmental conditions that affect the mental health of children living with their families at governmental asylum processing centers in Northern Norway. This study has a qualitative design, and is based on 11 focus group interviews with the staff at asylum processing centers. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed focusing on important risk and protective factors for mental health problems presented by the informants. Results pointed out time spent at asylum centers and the parent's mental health as the most important risk factors. Schooling, activities, general living conditions and poor economy were also seen as crucial. The findings suggest that these children are indeed vulnerable, and in high risk of developing mental health problems. Their rights are however open to local interpretations, and they fall between two stools; their right to proper healthcare, and national and international immigration policies.

AbstractThe mental health of children seeking asylum and their families is a somewhat neglected area of research. Research on refugee children and children living with adversities suggests that environmental factors are crucial in preventing mental health problems. In this study, we aim to identify central environmental conditions that affect the mental health of children living with their families at governmental asylum processing centres in northern Norway. This study has a qualitative design, and is based on 11 focus group interviews with the staff at asylum processing centres. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed focusing on important risk and protective factors for mental health problems presented by the informants. The results highlighted time spent at asylum centres and the parent's mental health as the most important risk factors. Schooling, activities, general living conditions and poor economy were also seen as crucial. The findings suggest that these children are indeed vulnerable, and at high risk of developing mental health problems. Their rights are, however, open to local interpretations, and they fall between two stools; their right to proper health care, and national and international immigration policies.

Children of immigrants are a rapidly growing part of the U.S. child population. Their health, development, educational attainment, and social and economic integration into the nation's life will play a defining role in the nation's future. Nancy Landale, Kevin Thomas, and Jennifer Van Hook explore the challenges facing immigrant families as they adapt to the United States, as well as their many strengths, most notably high levels of marriage and family commitment. The authors examine differences by country of origin in the human capital, legal status, and social resources of immigrant families and describe their varied living arrangements, focusing on children of Mexican, Southeast Asian, and black Caribbean origin. Problems such as poverty and discrimination may be offset for children to some extent by living, as many do, in a two-parent family. But the strong parental bonds that initially protect them erode as immigrant families spend more time in the United States and are swept up in the same social forces that are increasing single parenthood among American families. The nation, say the authors, should pay special heed to how this aspect of immigrants' Americanization heightens the vulnerability of their children. One risk factor for immigrant families is the migration itself, which sometimes separates parents from their children. Another is the mixed legal status of family members. Parents' unauthorized status can mire children in poverty and unstable living arrangements. Sometimes unauthorized parents are too fearful of deportation even to claim the public benefits for which their children qualify. A risk factor unique to refugees, such as Southeast Asian immigrants, is the death of family members from war or hardship in refugee camps.
The authors conclude by discussing how U.S. immigration policies shape family circumstances and suggest ways to alter policies to strengthen immigrant families. Reducing poverty, they say, is essential. The United States has no explicit immigrant integration policy or programs, so policy makers must direct more attention and resources toward immigrant settlement, especially ensuring that children have access to the social safety net.

"EU-SILC in 2021 covers: the three-yearly module on 'children' (children's material deprivation and children's health), and the six-yearly module policy needs ad hoc subject 'living arrangements and conditions of children within separated or blended families'.The other six regular modules on 'health', 'labour market and housing', 'quality of life', 'intergenerational transmission of disadvantages and housing difficulties', 'access to services' and 'over-indebtedness, consumption and wealth' will be adopted later, as will the ad hoc policy needs subjects. The details and timing are the subject of Commission Delegated Regulation 2020/256 on multiannual rolling planning."
(Eurostat (2022): Methodological Guidelines and Description of EU-SILC Target Variables. 2021 operation (Version 8), p. 27)