Addressing family needs, not just those of the partner or spouse, is essential for a successful relocation, and with an aging population, elder care concerns are becoming as important as child care issues. Linda Russell analyses the relocation needs of children and the elderly.

Relocation requires openness to change, which can be challenging for single or married/partnered adults, but imagine what it means to a child. A child moving with his or her parents is not a new concept, but an increasing number of surveys, articles, and industry discussions continue to highlight the importance of addressing not just employee or spouse/partner needs, but family needs during a relocation.

According to the 2006 “Global Relocation Trends Survey” report, conducted by GMAC Global Relocation, Woodridge, IL, in association with the National Foreign Trade Council, Washington, DC, 54 percent of relocations involved moving with children. At the same time, more employees are facing elder care concerns as the population ages. The National Alliance for Caregiving, Bethesda, MD, and AARP, Washington, DC, estimated there are 34 million unpaid caregivers for adults, most of whom are relatives. Among those caregivers, 61 percent of men and 41 percent of women work full-time, which means elder care is an issue that employers no longer can ignore.

Serving as a full-time or even part-time caregiver for an aging parent can be a daunting task, and members of the “Sandwich Generation” feel the pressure from both sides. This group of individuals, between the ages of 30 and 60, finds itself caring for both children and aging parents at the same time.

According to AARP, 44 percent of Americans have both one aging parent/in-law and a child who is younger than age 21. At the same time, an increasing number of individuals find themselves as members of the “Club Sandwich Generation,” providing at least part-time care for three generations at once. This could mean providing care for grandparents, parents, and children or for parents, children, and grandchildren.

Relocating with children of different ages

Depending on their age, children will react differently to the prospect of relocation, but communication is the key factor for success with toddlers and teenagers alike. Knowing the basic responses and related strategies can help position a move as a positive event in a child’s mind.

Children younger than the age of 6 are more worried about separation from mommy or daddy than they are about the actual move. Four-year-old Max goes to preschool and day care, but his evenings are spent with mom and dad at home. When relocation preparation begins, Max finds himself staying with his grandparents for several days at a time, and he worries that his parents may not come back to get him. If Max is involved in the relocation long before the moving van pulls into the driveway, he may feel less anxious about being separated.
Taking a young child on a househunting trip not only provides a bonding experience, but also serves to ease the transition by allowing children to see potential homes, schools, and surroundings. Encouraging children of this age group to share their feelings about relocation also alleviates stress and unnecessary concerns.

Elementary-age children are less concerned about separation from parents and instead focus on how life will change when a new home, school, and friends are thrown into the mix.

Sabrina, an 11-year-old who recently donned glasses and is the tallest kid in her class, worries whether she will fit in. Will the neighborhood kids tease her, or will they be her friends? When she thinks about the relocation, she mostly is sad about leaving her best friends behind—the friends she has had for more than half of her life.

Because of this anxiety about change, Sabrina also will benefit from attending orientation and househunting trips where she can learn about the neighborhood and visit the school to meet teachers and possibly other students. If taking children on the trip is not possible, use photos or videos and other sources of information, such as websites or printed brochures to share details of the new location and explore school-related and extracurricular activity options with children.

Teenagers often struggle the most with relocation. By this age, they likely have an established group of friends, a calendar of social activities, and plans for the future. Therefore, they are concerned with their ability to fit in and how relocating might affect future plans.

Dominick just finished his junior year of high school and has been involved with the school theater program since middle school. He is considering attending college to pursue a theater degree, and he worries about his ability to participate in theater in the new location. He will be competing against established students who know the teachers, the program, and fellow actors. His perception that the relocation might ruin his future plans makes him angry about the move, and he refuses to talk to his parents about moving.

For Dominick, an orientation trip where he can visit the school, learn about the theater program, and meet some teachers is a critical step for success in relocation. His family also may want to consider alternate living arrangements for him to stay in the old location, such as with a friend or relative. Although it separates the family temporarily, providing teenagers the opportunity to finish their studies where they started can help ensure successful completion without disruption.

Education for children

Continuity of education matters to families with children, whether in pre-school or high school, and may be a primary factor in reluctance to relocate. For intra-country relocations, the most important factors may relate to specialized areas of study, curriculum, educational philosophy, and extracurricular activities.

A family may be searching for a high school with an art department that offers specialized courses in computer animation, or an elementary school that provides German-language instruction. Regardless of the particular needs identified, intra-country educational needs often can be addressed during orientation trips or through family assistance programs prior to and during the relocation.

In global relocations, a child’s adjustment to a new educational environment may require more extensive support. According to the 2006 “Global Assignment Policies and Practices” survey report, conducted by KPMG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 53 percent of respondents provided educational benefits to children of all assignees. An additional 27 percent provided benefits when suitable or when free education did not exist in the destination.

Whether private education supported by corporate-sponsored benefit or public education in suitable locations, attending school abroad still brings to light questions of grade placement, cultural adjustment, language barriers, and continuity of education on returning home. These issues, as well as additional concerns related to special education needs, vocational schools, colleges, continuing education, and other topics, can be supported through the employer and third-party providers before, during, and after the move.

Child care provisions

Parents may need support in locating child care comparable to the existing location. Many parents rely on local family members for child care, and relocating to a new area with unknown providers can raise questions about safety, budget considerations, and the ability of the child to adapt. Such factors may cause additional concern for single parents, who account for 9 percent of transferees, according to the Worldwide ERC® 2008 “Family Issues” report.”

A comprehensive family relocation program will include aid in identifying day care providers, baby-sitting services, nanny/au pair agencies, preschools, before-/after-school care, parent’s-day-out programs, and other resources for child care needs.

In the case of global relocations, locating appropriate child care can be a difficult and daunting task considering the language barrier and the need for credentials and references.

Relocation and the elderly

While organizations are responding to the growing concerns regarding families with children and relocation, they are slow to respond to increasing elder care concerns. The United Nation’s “Population Divisions Report” predicts that, “by 2050, the number of older persons (60 years or older) in the world will exceed the number of young for the first time in history. Globally, the population of older persons is growing by two percent each year, considerably faster than the population as a whole.”

However, according to the 2006 “Global Relocation Trends Survey,” only 9 percent of respondents had provisions for elder care. Of those, 79 percent supported relocation of the family member to the assignment location, 36 percent supported visits to the family member in the home country, 14 percent supported elder care in the assignment location, and 14 percent supported elder care in the home country. KPMG’s study showed that 84 percent of respondents provided no elder care assistance, and the 38th annual “Corporate Relocation Survey” from Atlas Van Lines, Evansville, IN, reported that 79 percent of respondents offered no assistance.
With the increasing number of elderly around the globe, elder care concerns will continue to be a top priority for employees in general and for some in transition in particular. Relocation programs must be updated to account for these concerns if employers want to overcome reluctance to relocate, as elder care will continue to be a major concern for employees in coming years.

For elder care in particular, employer support may include relocation expenses for the elderly family member and research and guidance on elder care resources, including assisted-living centers, adult day care providers, state Medicare requirements, and support groups for full- or part-time family caregivers.
Elder Care Resources

As with child care providers, family members will have many questions about nursing homes, assisted-living centers, or independent living communities. Questions may range from reputation to cost to proximity to suitable family housing in the new location, and employers may choose to address such questions in orientation trips, through an employee assistance program, or through customized relocation support.

Adult day care programs help seniors continue living in community-based settings instead of nursing homes by providing care while their caretakers are at work. This is a crucial component to keeping the family together while ensuring that the appropriate care is provided by trained professionals. Some organisations have jumped on this bandwagon by providing elder care in the same manner they provide child care, which is a great offering for organisations with the resources to do so.

Cultural and language skills for young and old

Many organisations have noted the importance of providing cultural training to their relocating employees before and during a global relocation. Moving to a new city can be challenging enough for all members of a family, whether young or old, but relocating to a new country with different customs and cultures, and possibly even a different language, can further increase anxiety and reluctance to relocate.
Many of these challenges can be overcome by cross-cultural training, yet only 21 percent of organisations responding to the 2006 “Global Relocation Trends Survey” required cross-cultural training for international relocations, despite the fact that 77 percent acknowledged that it has great or high value. KPMG’s survey specifically addressed whole-family, cross-cultural training and showed that 37 percent of respondents offer training to the assignee, spouse, and children.

Cultural training for young children and teenagers can help in easing anxiety about living abroad. Intercultural training programs begin with a needs assessment to identify specific concerns and then work to alleviate them through information.
“Many Expatriates, Many Voices,” by Prudential Relocation, Irvine, CA, stated that, “expatriates who received cross-cultural training described themselves, their children, and their spouses as having a more positive experience than expatriates who did not receive such training.”

Older children and teenagers may participate in portions of adult programs based on need. Critical cultural training topics for children may include sharing feelings about the overseas move, making friends in the new country, exploring recreational activities, attending school abroad, and adjusting to the return home after the assignment.

Although many families relocating globally may choose not to relocate an elderly family member, there are others who may take an older relative in good health overseas with them. In this case, cultural training can help with adjustments related to the health care system, cultural customs, and other areas of interest.

Language training for family members of all ages is a critical factor in relocation success, as well. KPMG’s survey revealed that, “there has been an increase over the last five years in the number of organizations that provide language training, with a shift toward providing the service to accompanying children as well as assignees and their spouses.”

The report showed that 42 percent of respondents are providing language training to the assignee, spouse, and children. Although most of their interaction is with family members in the home, young children need basic communication skills in the event of an emergency. At the same time, a young child can benefit greatly from the experience because of the greater aptitude for learning language at a younger age. For slightly older children who are concerned primarily about changes in their routines, improving language skills and cultural awareness will help them cope faster and feel as though they are on or close to the same level as other children, which is especially critical in a learning environment. For teenagers whose greatest apprehension is not being accepted by others, language plays a key role in their cultural adjustment and ability to fit in.

Balancing needs

Children and the elderly each have their own special needs that require attention both on a daily basis and during relocation. Comprehensive relocation programs that support the needs of the entire family have an effect on both initial reluctance to relocate and overall relocation success.

Changing overall benefit programs to accommodate the changing needs of employees helps both employers and employees, as a 2007 national survey of working adults conducted by Workplace Options, Raleigh, NC, showed that 59 percent of employees missed between three and 10 work days in the past year because of child care or elder care needs.

As research has shown, training—cross-cultural and language—has its merits in addressing concerns and highlighting positive aspects before anticipation, nerves, and assumptions get out of hand. In the same vein, services such as schooling assistance, child care, elder care, and counseling all serve the employee and the organisation by helping ensure a smooth transition and a successful assignment.
Balancing the responsibility of child care and elder care is no small task, and employers have the opportunity to support their employees with comprehensive benefit programs that meet diverse needs on a daily basis and especially during relocation.

Linda Russell is marketing and communications coordinator for Vandover, St. Louis, MO. She can be reached at +1 314 576 0010 or e-mail lrussell@vandover.com.

Reprinted with permission of MOBILITY Magazine, April 2008.