Sophia Sepp

Meeting the Moment: Immigration and Child Welfare at University of Minnesota’s Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare conference

University of Minnesota • Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare • April 22, 2026

CICW Director Kristina Lovato delivered a keynote address at the Meeting the Moment: Immigration and Child Welfare conference in Brooklyn Center, MN. Her talk, Navigating Care Amid Immigration Enforcement: Child Welfare and Social Service Responses to Vulnerable Children and Families, explored how child welfare and social service systems are responding to the needs of children and families affected by immigration enforcement.

Spring 2026 CW360° Publication – Immigration and Child Welfare

Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, University of Minnesota

This issue of CW360° — featuring contributions from several members of the CICW research workgroup — offers a timely examination of how the current sociopolitical landscape and immigration status shape the lives of families, unaccompanied minors, and transition-age youth navigating an uncertain child welfare landscape.

• Building Equitable Child Welfare Service Systems for Immigrant Families: Models for Specialized Practice
  Sophia Sepp, LMSW, MPH, Kristina Lovato, PhD, MSW, Megan Finno-Velasquez, PhD, LMSW, Effie Clayton, MSW, and Kelechi Chinyere Wright, PhD
• An Examination of Immigration Status and Its Implications for Transition-Age Youth in the Child Welfare System
  Anthony Gómez, PhD, Kristina K. Lovato, PhD, Andrea Lane Eastman, PhD, and Mark E. Courtney, PhD
• Children’s Best Interests vs. Government’s Interests: How Does Immigration Court Differ From Juvenile Court?
  Susan Schmidt, DSW, LGSW
• Supporting Immigrant Children and Families in Child Welfare: A Comprehensive Training Overview
  Megan Finno-Velasquez, PhD, LMSW, & Sophia Sepp, LMSW, MPH, CHES

ISS-USA is seeking Independent Social Work Contractors!

International Social Service-USA

ISS-USA is actively recruiting social work professionals nationwide, with urgent openings in Oregon, New York, Maine, Alabama, and Pennsylvania (bilingual Spanish required).

Webinar Series: Guidance for Schools Navigating Uncertainty in an Era of Heightened Immigration Enforcement

MAEC Center for Education Equity & the National Newcomer Network at The Century Foundation • May 28, 2026 • 9:30amPT/12:30pmET

This multi-part webinar series offers schools and community organizations trauma-informed, research-backed strategies for supporting immigrant students and families amid escalating immigration enforcement.