Background: Over 4000 children without civil status reside in Tel-Aviv. Most of them were born in Israel to asylum seekers or migrant workers from Africa or Asia. The Israeli government provides these children access to healthcare through a special agreement with a health maintenance organization (Kupat Cholim Meuchedet). Despite this opportunity, most statusless children are not insured due to cultural norms, parental unawareness, and/or financial restraints. The growth of statusless children may be compromised by their complex living circumstances of poverty and unfamiliarity with local language and healthcare facilities. Aims: To develop a health-promoting educational program for parents of statusless children. Design: A pilot intervention program conducted in the community setting. Social workers from the community who are knowledgeable about the unique cultural norms were consulted to ensure that the intervention program was appropriate for the targeted population. Intervention: Several interactive health education sessions were conducted between parents and caregivers of children enrolled in UNITAF daycare centers and pediatric endocrinologists in Hebrew, English, and Tigre (with the assistance of an Eritrean translator). The importance of monitoring growth, good nutrition and sleep habits, universal precautions, oral hygiene, and immunizations was discussed. Information leaflets in English and Tigre were distributed. Parents were invited to ask questions and discuss issues concerning their children’s health and wellbeing. There was active participation, and parents and caregivers enthusiastically supported this community project. Conclusions: This outreach program to promote the health and wellbeing of statusless children was well received by parents and caregivers.
