Refugee children learn to be kids again at Surrey First Steps Early Years Settlement Program

Many of the Syrian refugee children that move to Canada know nothing but war and displacement, but a drop-in centre in Surrey is teaching these children to learn to be kids again. 

"When they first come to the program they don't even know how to play with the materials," said Ruth Bearsley, a manager at First Steps Early Years Refugee Settlement Program.

Unlike many daycare centres that are filled with bright colours, the centre is intentionally low-key to minimize stimulation. 

"Families that are under stress — anybody under stress — having a lot of colour in your space makes it harder to focus," said Beardsley. 

Beardsley recalls the early days a Rohingya boy came to the centre. His family had lived in a refugee camp for 20 years. 

"He didn't play with anything when he arrived," she said. "The next time he came he was in the washroom playing with the running water and we couldn't get him away from the water."

But gradually the boy began picking up puzzle pieces and integrating with other children. 

'Now they feel so safe'

Hanan Al-Awad moved to Canada over a year ago with her two daughters, three-year-old Noor and four-year-old Nawar. They are one of 128 families that come to this centre. 

"When I came here I feel like this is like my family. This program has opened the door for me," she said through a translator. 

Recalling memories from their past life in Syria still isn't easy for them. 

"It was war, you know what that means? Big big horrible things. They cannot even sleep. They were so scared," she said wiping away tears, 

"There is no life at all. There is no school. There is no toys. There is no places to go. I am not allowed to let them go to school, at all."

But the program has raised their spirits and opened them to new experiences.

"Now they feel so safe, now they know what school means," she said, "Now they are very, very friendly. They are now very, very open. They are not scared at all."

The program is run by Options Community Services and is currently serving 193 children. The Surrey location is the first of six programs in the Lower Mainland.

The centre also offers a range of programs to support parents and families. It is funded by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada, United Way, City of Surrey, Ministry of Children and Family Development and is supported by Fraser Health and the Surrey School District. 

To listen to the full audio click on Drop-in centre for refugee children and parents on the CBC's The Early Edition.