The government is urged to prioritize mandatory family-centered pre-departure orientation and ongoing monitoring, referral, and support programs for labor mobility workers and their families. This recommendation comes from a study conducted by UNICEF, directed towards the Fijian government and three other countries engaged in the Pacific mobility scheme.
The study highlights that many participants feel their families are unprepared for labor mobility initiatives, emphasizing the need for enhanced pre-departure training. It suggests that programs should be easily accessible, compulsory, and include extended family members. A comprehensive approach is recommended, focusing on financial management, childcare arrangements, psychological readiness, and communication and remittance strategies.
Furthermore, the study recommends that host countries create temporary labor migration policies that better accommodate caregivers and children. To uphold relationships and ensure stable care, the report suggests improving the facilitation of regular family visits for workers. Addressing concerns such as child neglect and marital breakdown could also be achieved if spouses and children were allowed to accompany workers with long-term visas.
The research also calls for improved education on effective caregiving practices, the challenges of parenting from a distance, and how to coordinate care arrangements prior to a migrant worker’s departure. It emphasizes that workers should take responsibility for their care arrangements before leaving, and caregivers should be included in pre-departure programs to express their concerns and gain a better understanding of the realities of solo caregiving.