Establishing a Parenting Program for Transnationally Separated Chinese Immigrant Families: Community-Based Pilot Program

Children who experience transnational separation (TS), often referred to as “satellite babies,” reflect a relatively common but underdiscussed phenomenon. To date, no evaluations of clinical interventions that specifically support TS families have been described. This paper describes the implementation of a parent group therapy pilot program at a Boston Chinatown social services agency to address parenting and emotional concerns specifically related to TS. Parent and therapist interviews indicated an increase in parenting skills in the context of negotiating parent feelings of guilt, shame, and regret due to separation. These insights can guide practitioners and researchers who wish to address family separation in their respective communities.