Serving Foreign Families

As early childhood professionals preparing to serve families from foreign countries should one aspect of preparedness taken into account.  Issues such as the language spoken, the dominant culture practiced, gender roles, family structure, and customs popular with children are things that can arm a professional with tools to provide effective service.  Understanding a country's history and how it came to be today might also give professionals great insight into a country's practiced culture.
Were I, a literacy coach, tasked with serving a family from Istanbul, Turkey, the very first thing I would do is research the history of the country and the city and some popular customs and beliefs.  I would learn family structures, religion practiced, and popular customs and beliefs.  I would need to know some cultural aspects that I could possibly do that might be taken offensively because I do not wish to alienate them from the program.
After doing research about country and Istanbul, I have learned the following and more:

1. Government: Republican parliamentary democracy (CIA Library, 2013)
2. Their independence day: October 29, 1923 (CIA Library, 2013)
3. Their flag:
4. Ethnic groups: Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 18%, other minorities 7-12% (2008 est.) (CIA Library, 2013)
5. Languages spoken: Turkish (official), Kurdish,  (CIA Library, 2013) Arabic, Armenian, Greek (National Geographic, 2013)
6. Religion practiced:  Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews) (CIA Library, 2013)
7. 87% of the population is literate (National geographic, 2013)
8. Istanbul is the only city in the world that lies on two continents, Europe and Asia. (Turkey travel centre, 2013)
9. The country suffers from numerous military coups(1960, 1971, 1980, 1984) (CIA Library, 2013)

The information provided above will help me understand the families culture which will better equipped me with tools I need to respect the family's individuality.
In addition to doing research, I would prepare in the following ways:

1. Elicit the help of an interpreter after learning the language spoken by the family.
2. Create a diversity board with the flags of all the countries of the families we serve in addition to pictures of historical sites from all the countries
3. I would create a list of questions and/or a to-do list inquiring about the language, the family structure, the religion practiced, a list of things they find unacceptable, and provide them with a family handbook in their language, a list of expectations the program will have of them, a list of skills and teachings to which their child (ren) will exposed.
4. Make sure that my teachers are as informed as I am about the family.

The interpreter will help us communicate.  The diversity board with pictures of historical site is an attempt to make them feel welcome and provide a piece of home at school.  The list of questions is to keep my teachers and I informed because research only provides general information and a baseline for knowing the right questions to ask the family.  Ensuring that my teachers are as informed as I am will provide effective service to the family.


References:
http://www.turkeytravelcentre.com/blog/culture-traditions/
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/turkey-facts/