First steps in a new country - information for families moving to Iceland

Ritstjórn

Human Rights School and recreation

Móðir og barn á ferðalagi

Anyone who has ever moved to a different country knows how difficult the first steps are in a new environment. Newcomers must find their way when navigating such tasks as finding jobs and housing and learning about rights and responsibilities. Additional challenges arise when there are children involved as families consider their education and well-being.

To meet the needs of families in such a situation, the City of Reykjavík, in collaboration with the Polish School in Reykjavik and the Children's and Family Office, has published the information booklet "Our children and ourselves". The brochure was first published in 2014 but has been updated and given a new look.

Our children and ourselves is an information booklet for parents/guardians and relatives of children who move to Iceland and are taking their first steps in a new environment. In this booklet, responsibilities, rights, and obligations of parents/guardians are explained. It also contains important information about children's education and the well-being of the family.

Two versions of the booklet are available; one in Icelandic and English and the other in Icelandic and Polish. This text includes explanations of various concepts in Icelandic to ease conversations with counselors and others.

The booklet is available on the City of Reykjavík website: www.reykjavik.is/vid-og-börnin-okkar. In English and Icelandic: http://www.reykjavik.is/en/our-children-and-ourselves

In Polish and Icelandic: www.reykjavik.is/pl/my-i-nasze-dzieci

The booklet can be browsed on the web, enlarged on a screen, or downloaded in pdf format.

The making of the booklet is sponsored by the Immigration Development Fund of the Ministry of Social Affair and Labour Market.