REACHMIND Refugee, Education, And Children Mental health IN Development: Empowering children, parents and teachers in promoting and protecting refugee, migrant and minority children's mental health and well-being in education Needs Assessment (Parents)

This needs assessment, conducted as a part of the CERV-2024 REACHMIND project , identifies key challenges and priorities of migrant parents in supporting their children’s inclusion and mental health in schools across Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Based on qualitative research through focus groups with migrant parents in each country, the analysis provides specific, databacked insights that will guide the development of the project’s core output: the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Toolkit for Parents. Disaggregated data by sex, age, and disability are used wherever possible, ensuring that non-discrimination and intersectionality are at the heart of this assessment. This research focuses on three key population groups: migrants, refugees from Ukraine, and displaced Roma communities from Ukraine. In line with IOM’s inclusive approach, the term migrant is used as an umbrella concept encompassing all individuals who have moved away from their place of habitual residence, regardless of legal status, reason for movement, or duration of stay. This includes people who have been forcibly displaced due to conflict, as well as displaced individuals from minority backgrounds who experience compounded vulnerabilities linked to both their displacement and identity. Refugees from Ukraine are persons who have fled Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and who are Temporary Protection (TP) holders in host countries. Displaced Roma from Ukraine represent a minority population disproportionately affected by both displacement and systemic exclusion due to their identity and historical marginalization. By analyzing focus group discussions with parents and exploring their perceptions and experiences, the research aims to inform the development of a toolkit to empower migrant, refugee, and displaced minority parents with practical, culturally sensitive, and psychosocially informed resources to support their children's mental health and well-being. The toolkit will be grounded in the lived experiences of migrant families and directly respond to the challenges and priorities identified. The findings reveal that migrant parents across all four countries face a combination of cultural, linguistic, and institutional barriers that hinder their children’s full inclusion in schools and access to adequate mental health and psychosocial support. Parents report a general lack of structured communication with schools, limited culturally sensitive resources, and unfamiliarity with local systems of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). Classroom environments often lack diversity-sensitive practices, which affects children’s sense of belonging. Parents express a strong need for accessible information, training, and support in navigating these systems and in helping their children manage stress, social exclusion, and discrimination. Gendered differences were noted, for example in the emotional expression and help-seeking behaviours of boys and girls, while children with disabilities often faced multiple layers of exclusion. Despite these challenges, parents also described coping strategies and informal support systems they rely on, including peer support within migrant communities and reliance on extended family networks. However, these approaches are often fragmented or insufficient. Across the board, parents articulated a clear need for tools that help them better understand MHPSS, communicate effectively with their children and schools, and advocate for inclusive practices. These insights will directly inform the design and structure of the MHPSS Toolkit for Parents, ensuring it is rooted in the lived experience of migrant families and tailored to their specific priorities and challenges