Improving formal service responses for refugee families in Australia

Effective formal services, including both mainstream and specialist migrant and refugee services, are critical to supporting the resettlement of refugee families in Australia. In a study with refugee families and specialist service providers, most families reported that they used multiple services when they first arrived in Australia, largely dependent on facilitation by case managers and case workers from humanitarian settlement services, as well as other specialist services. Families’ use of formal services peaked on arrival and decreased over time.