Out-migration of parents and children
In most studies, especially under the Child Health and Migrant Parents in Southeast Asia (CHAMPSEA) show that there are positive financial impacts on out-migration of children. The financial impacts of out-migration are based on remittances by those that go abroad. The remittances are essential, especially for the economy of their country of origin. Most economies of countries such as Mexico, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia depend so much on the remittances of their citizens who work abroad. Fellmeth et al. (2018) report that “International migrants send an estimated US$613 billion per year in remittances to their countries of origin” (2569). The impact of these remittances is that it boosts the financial stability of the household lives, thus improving their living standards. On the part of the children, they benefit from the remittances, which are essential for their education. The sizeable remittances back to the family ensure that the health care and the well-being of the children left behind are adequately catered for, and stability is certain. The other
Educational Impact
Another area significantly affected by the out-migration of parents is education. In most family set-ups, the parents are the ones who encourage their children to go to school. Without their parents, most of the children lack the incentive to go to school. However, there are also positive impacts of out-migration on both the children and the native country. Fellmeth et al. (2018) state that “material benefits and greater income security from remittances might be expected to confer improvements in health and facilitate access to health care and education” (2568). The money remitted by the parents who are abroad is crucial for the studies of the children left behind. The children can, therefore, afford to attend schools and study. Meng & Yamuchi (2015) states that it is never a guarantee that the money would ensure the education of the children. Meng & Yamuchi (2015) thus states that “Although parental migration often brings higher income and hence potentially more economic resources for children’s education and health investment, lack of parental care can also have adverse effects on left-behind children” (2). The adverse effects are provided by Nobles (2013) who states that the absence of parents in the lives of their children leads to “lower probability of attending high school fewer completed years of schooling a reduction in study hours and a higher probability of behavioral problems” (1304). The education life of a child needs a lot of parental involvement, and without it, education can be compromised. The presence of a father figure in the educational life of a child is crucial in providing discipline and direction. Parents also assist children in setting objectives and dreams that they would like to achieve in future. Studies show that children with non-migrant parents tend to be more focused and disciplined in school as compared to those with migrant parents. Halpern-Manners (2011) conducted further studies on the effects of migrant parents on the education process of their children. The studies found majorly concentrated on the Latino children, especially those from Mexico who were found to be motivated by the sacrifices made by the parents to travel abroad to look for better economic solutions. However, the study conducted by Halpern-Manners (2011) on Mexican children showed a trend of indiscipline behaviours among children with migrant parents. The results of these behaviors were credited to lack of the figure of authority to align the children with the tenets of discipline required to concentrate in school. Consequently, the performances of the children were diluted by the flagrant behaviors and lack of discipline. Lu (2014) also conducted studies on the impacts out-migration had on the children, especially of Latino and South-East Asian Origin. Lu (2014) tries to find a connection between parental availability and a child’s school performances. To that effect, he states that “Parental availability and engagement in children’s lives improves children’s educational outcomes, even after ability and family background are taken into account” (Lu, 2014: 1083). Subsequently, the unavailability of parents is likely to have adverse effects on the cognitive development of the children of migrant parents. The adverse effects range from a lack of concentration in studies to absenteeism from school activities. The resultant effect is that the academic and cognitive growth of the children is stunted.
Social Impact
The social impacts of out-migration of parents on children are spearheaded by studies from the South East Asia nations. Among the contributors to this studies include Asis & Ruiz-Marave (2015) who conducted a study among the children in the Philipines who had been left behind by their parents. Asis & Ruiz-Marave (2015) study was conducted under the CHAMPSEA project on the effects of migration on the children. The study states that most children are most likely to take socialization lessons from those that take care of them in the absence of their parents. As a result, most of the children end up not learning their cultural socialization processes. Asis & Ruiz-Marave (2015) state that parents leave the children at the hands of their relatives, and mostly the children are likely to be raised similarly as the parents would have if they were around. Lu (2014) states that “potential beneficial impact of migration is largely overshadowed by the social costs of family separation” (1090). Some of the hidden social costs of migration include the lack of parental supervision that teaches them how to manage their emotional expectations, especially within social institutions. Children thus end up lacking the right manners and behaviors that are needed to interact with people in society. The absence of the parents also creates a social vacuum forcing the children to grow up so fast, thus missing crucial parts of their childhood. Children in families where the parents are absent have the responsibility of taking care of both themselves and those of their siblings. According to Lu (2012), the children are forced to take up duties that would, in normal cases, a reserve for the adults. Further, the social fabric of the society is dependent on the presence of parents in the community to help in giving directions to the younger generations on which ways to follow. In the absence of parents or figures of authority, the children are forced to make social rules on their own, which in most cases result in deviation from the social norms of the society. Zhao et al. (2017) conducted a study on the social well-being of children left in China behind by the migrating parents. The outcomes of the study show that there are long term effects on children in terms of interactions with people. The interaction process is significantly affected by families where parents migrate abroad.
Conclusion
The cross-sectional baseline study of Child Health and Migrant Parents in Southeast Asia (CHAMPSEA) shed more light on the impacts of out-migration on children. The most significant impacts are spread on the areas of education, finance, psychology and social aspects of child development. Similarly, studies conducted on Latino children, especially of Mexican origin, also relayed similar results as to those of South East Asia region. The area where most children are affected is on their well-being which in most cases of mental well-being. Psychologically, the children of migrant parents face a lot of struggles to live with the absence of their parents. Most of them, therefore, turn to substance abuse to drown out the loneliness. Financially, out-migration has positive impacts on the economy of the country and the livelihood of families that their parents migrate abroad. However, care should be taken to direct such money to education and health care needs of the children so as to protect them from exploitation. Moreover, the absence of parents means that the children grow up without supervision, and in most cases, the children become socially irresponsible. These studies have provided great insight into the lives of children whose parents migrate, and more should be done so as to protect them from possible impacts that result from the absence of parents.