Youve Got Nowhere to Go: Live-in caregivers in Rural & Small City Alberta Dr Denise L. Spitzer Canada Research Chair in Gender, Migration & Health University of Ottawa

Acknowledgements Interviewers Tatjana Alvadj-Koreni, Lucenia Ortiz-Marquez. Caridad Bernardino, Ivon Pereira Advisory Committee Rashmi Joshee, Leticia Cables, Lucenia Ortiz-Marquez, Kevin Essar, Kathy Galloway, Noreen Berkes Thanks to Prairie Centre of Excellence in Research in Immigration and Integration, Lena Bengstton & Canada Research Chair Program

Sample 1 man 38 women 38 Philippines 1 India Average age Vocational School, 25 College/University 19 Married, 18 Single, 2 Other 18 with children 23 from rural areas, 11 urban

Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP) Care for children, infirm or elderly Working/living with employers Work 24 out of 36 months Possibility of becoming permanent residents

Research Project Interviews and Focus Groups Surveys (N=100) Focus Group with Policymakers (May 2006)

Findings: Charriott: My first employers, I know they were supposedlike, they have to bring you to where you will be spending your weekend, but they didnt. Saty: Its very beautiful here, but its just you become homesick because its not like Hong Kong where its joyful because there are a lot you there who are together and every time you go walking you can talk to a Filipino or Filipina. But here, after one week or even three days, you wont be able to talk to anyone.

Findings: Indy: While we are taking care of those little people, we miss big people while theyre busy at their work. That is very stressful for me. Whenever I work for them, I feel attached. I get attached to the children, and in the evening when their Mom and Dad come and I realize, oh my God, theyve gone back to their parents. And the emptiness you feel. Because the whole day you give them all your love and affection and in the evening all of a sudden, youre nobody.

Difficulty changing jobs

Conclusion Some similar problems as other LCP workers, but more intense Specific problems of isolation, lack of access to social support, problems accessing services, difficulty finding new jobs, being Othered in small communities