Caretaker perceptions of the effects of parental migration on left-behind children in rural Kyrgyzstan
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study examines how caretakers perceive the effects of parental migration on left-behind children in Kyrgyzstan. Drawing from interviews with 33 caretakers in southern Kyrgyzstan, this study examines the "impossible" dilemma of parental labour migration and its effects on the children that are left behind. We find that parental migration is perceived to impact children in five main ways: financial, migration ambitions, educational, behavioural, and emotional. We find the financial benefits from migration are perceived to improve children's economic conditions, but parental absence can also lead to negative behavioural and emotional outcomes. This study contributes to literature on left-behind children through a qualitative analysis of caretakers' perceptions and the community's lived experiences. Findings can inform policies and initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of children and supporting economies in high out-migration communities.
Source: Development in Practice
Institution: Pennsylvania State University
Language: English
Topic: Migration and Labor Dynamics
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Michigan State University, Pennsylvania State University, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, Social Science Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, Institutes of Energy and the Environment, Pennsylvania State University, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
OpenAlex ID: W4411130984