Upon completion of this chapter, the reader will understand:

• what it means to  improve one’s cross-cultural competence and the knowledge and skills service providers can use to help build bridges with families from different cultures
  
  
• how cultural self-awareness develops and how it leads to improved understanding of other cultures
  
  
• the importance of the cultural continua that exist within families
  
  
• sociocultural factors that impact family–service provider interactions
  
  
• principles of cross-cultural communication and specific communication issues, including working with interpreters and translators