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Multicultural Activities

The Family Federation’s Centre for Multicultural Expertise functions as a centre for expertise and resources on psychosocial issues concerning immigrants, particularly relating to family life, childrearing and parenthood.

Immigrants are a growing part of the Finnish population. Moving to a new society can be an enriching and liberating experience, but the accompanying rupture of social relationships, rapid cultural change and different language can also be challenges that the family faces in its daily life. Multiculturalism also sets new demands on the services provided by society. These services should be client-based, flexible and respond to the different needs of a diversifying population.

Aims:

The Centre for Multicultural Expertise aims to strengthen and support people who work in the public and the third sector in their expertise in multicultural psychosocial issues. By also providing support to immigrant families, the Kotipuu is able to monitor the need for services and develop new models for operation and new materials, as well as carry out an advocacy role in these issues.

Activities:

For people working in the public sector and the third sector the Centre for Multicultural Expertise provides training, consultation and models for operation and also produces and distributes multilingual material and informs decision-makers and other opinion-makers about the needs of families with an immigrant background.

For families with an immigrant background the Centre for Multicultural Expertise also provides advice on issues concerning family relationships and raising children. When moving to a new country, the significance of the family often increases as the rest of the social network changes or disappears. Often, however, adapting to a new society changes the relationships between family members. Rapid changes and many challenges having to be faced when integrating into a new society can cause conflicts to arise in the family. Questions on how to raise one’s children in the new home country can also cause confusion and uncertainty.