Categorial approach of migrant youngsters in the special youth care

Working with migrant youngsters and their families is a rather new phenomenon for special youth care in Flanders. Due to language problems, cultural barriers and difficulties in the co-operation with parents and youngsters the existing special youth care does not fit these migrants.
The search for social welfare interventions that relate to the cultural identity of different ethnics groups recently resulted in the start of a categorical approach. This means that migrant youngsters are grouped together and get assistance from counselors of the same ethnicity. But is categorical care a solution? Concerning this topic there is a few research available.
The objectives of our research are to follow up the experimental categorical projects which recently started in Flanders. The merits and demerits of these approaches are studied. Taken form different perspectives (i.e. parents, youngsters and social workers) beneficial and aversive elements of a categorical approach will be discussed.