Project
Part of Everyday Life – Culturally and Trauma-Sensitive Support for Parents with an Immigrant Background
Project sponsors
Abbreviation
Focus area
Implementation time
1.6.2026
-
28.2.2029
Unit
Financing program
European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027
UN Sustainable development goals
Project description
Osa Arkea – Culturally and Trauma-Informed Support for Immigrant Parents is a project that develops a new culturally and trauma-sensitive support model for parents with immigrant backgrounds. The project is centred on parents' individual needs, everyday family life, and the power of peer support.
The project is aimed especially at parents with immigrant backgrounds who face challenges related to work ability, functional capacity, learning, or employment. Its goal is to strengthen parents' well-being, participation, and opportunities to influence their own lives, while supporting pathways to education and employment.
In the project:
- the support needs of parents with immigrant backgrounds are identified and knowledge on these needs is strengthened
- parents' participation, agency, work ability, and functional capacity are enhanced
- new forms of peer support and everyday-life support are developed
- opportunities for parents with immigrant backgrounds to participate in the development of services and activities affecting them are increased
- professionals' competence in culturally and trauma-informed approaches is strengthened.
In practice, the project provides weekly group activities and individual support for the target group. Through group-based and personalised support, the project strengthens parents' resources, participation, and opportunities to move towards education and employment.
Developing Together with Parents
The support model is developed in collaboration with parents with immigrant backgrounds and the professionals who work with them. In monthly co-creation meetings, parents and social service professionals work together on themes that are essential to the development of the model.
Co-creation strengthens trust, increases understanding of the experiences of people from diverse backgrounds, and helps to make services more accessible, equitable, and better tailored to the needs of the target group.
Towards Smoother Everyday Life and Employment
Through pilot activities based on peer support and practical everyday-life assistance, the project seeks to remove barriers between family life, education, and employment. At the same time, it strengthens parents' personal resources, sense of capability, and opportunities to build a meaningful future for themselves.
Special attention is paid to ensuring that parents can become active participants in shaping their everyday lives and futures, as well as in developing the services that affect them.
Together, we are building approaches that strengthen parenting, participation, and equal opportunities to engage in society.
Further Information:
Project Manager
Katri Karjula
Tel. +358 50 456 7777
firstname.surname@jamk.fi
Project results
Osa Arkea – Culturally and Trauma-Informed Support for Immigrant Parents -projetcts' results and Impact
Throughout the project, effective practices and operating methods will be identified and documented so that they can be adapted and used in other services and settings. The project also builds bridges between immigrant families and different service providers, promoting smoother collaboration and better access to support.
Project Outcomes
The project will produce:
- a freely available online culturally and trauma-informed support model for parenting
- a written report on the support needs of parents with immigrant backgrounds and methods for identifying those needs
- new peer-support and everyday-life support activities
- a three-part webinar training series for professionals
- practical tools to support professionals in working with parents from immigrant backgrounds
2.10.2026