The attachment (the bond) between an infant and their caregivers serves as a basis for the development of future social relationships. Migration has the potential to disrupt the development of secure attachments between young children and their caregivers. Circle of Security (CoS) is a well-established program for assisting caregivers to raise a securely attached child and to prevent at-risk children from developing insecure attachments. To meet the call for providing culturally safe programs, the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District’s (ISLHD) Multicultural and Refugee Health Service sought to evaluate the delivery of the CoS program using in-language translation to selected communities.

This report describes a qualitative evaluation of the Circle of Security (parenting) program delivered in-language.  The program was adapted for three language-based groups; Arabic, Karenni (Burmese) and Kinyamulenge. The evaluation included program facilitators and participants. 

The in-language adaptation and delivery of the CoS program to Kinyamulenge, Karenni and Arabic communities was highly successful, with broad impacts for individual family units and their relationships, as well as broader community effects. The current study demonstrates the feasibility of this approach, to developing and delivering the CoS to small non-English speaking community groups.