Category

Research Highlight

All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families

By | Immigrant Families Research, Language Issues, Research, Research Highlight

All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families

Margie McHugh, Julia Gelatt, Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, Katherine Habben, Jacob Hofstetter and Julie Sugarman; Migration Policy Institute (September 2025)

This report examines how Connecticut’s state policies and services can better support immigrant integration and upward mobility, analyzing eight key areas including education, housing, healthcare, and workforce development based on interviews with state and local stakeholders.

Brief: An Examination of Immigration Status and Its Implications for Transition-Age Youth in the Child Welfare System

By | Child Welfare System Research, Foster Care, Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight

Brief: An Examination of Immigration Status and Its Implications for Transition-Age Youth in the Child Welfare System

Anthony Gómez, Kristina K. Lovato, Andrea Lane Eastman, and Mark E. Courtney, Transition-Age Youth Research & Evaluation Hub (May 29, 2025)

This brief summarizes the findings and key recommendations from a study examining immigration status documentation in California’s child welfare records for transition-age youth in foster care.

Everyday Futures: Language as Survival for Indigenous Youth in Diaspora

By | Immigrant Youth, Language Issues, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Everyday Futures: Language as Survival for Indigenous Youth in Diaspora

Stephanie L. Canizales and Brendan H. O’Connor, Stanford University Press (August 2025)

This book examines language socialization experiences of Maya-speaking Guatemalan youth in Los Angeles, exploring how language affects their integration and sense of belonging in both Guatemalan and American communities.

A Data Profile of Young Dual Language Learners and Implications for Early Childhood Programs

By | Immigrant Families Research, Language Issues, Research, Research Highlight

A Data Profile of Young Dual Language Learners and Implications for Early Childhood Programs

Katherine Habben and Victoria Kim, Migration Policy Institute (August 2025)

This series of fact sheets highlights the key characteristics of dual language learner children and their households, emphasizing both the diversity of this population and factors that may hinder access to early childhood services.

Immigrant Service Access Needs and Recommendations in the U.S.–Mexico Border Region: A Qualitative Study

By | Child Well-Being, Culture: Issues & Competencies, Immigrant Families Research, Public Charge, Research, Research Highlight

Immigrant Service Access Needs and Recommendations in the U.S.–Mexico Border Region: A Qualitative Study

Megan Finno-Velasquez, Carolina Villamil Grest, Sophia Sepp, Danisha Baro & Gloria Brownell; Social Sciences, Special Issue on International Social Work Practices with Immigrants and Refugees (August 28, 2025)

This study examines service access barriers for immigrant families with young children and provides community generated solutions within the unique context of New Mexico’s borderlands.

We don’t turn away families”: Systematic support of immigrant families with young children during and after the COVID pandemic

By | Immigrant Families Research, Research, Research Highlight

We don’t turn away families”: Systematic support of immigrant families with young children during and after the COVID pandemic

Carolina Villamil Grest, Megan Finno-Velasquez, Anayeli Lopez, & Sophia Sepp; Journal of Human Rights and Social Work (2023)

This study along the US-Mexico border found that local-level solutions including community organizing, immigrant inclusion in agency practices, community partnerships, and sanctuary policies can help overcome structural barriers and ensure equitable access to health and social services for immigrant families.

Behind the Scenes: Mapping How State and Local Governments Implement Language Access Measures

By | Immigrant Families Research, Language Issues, Legal/Law, Research, Research Highlight, State Policies

Behind the Scenes: Mapping How State and Local Governments Implement Language Access Measures

Migration Policy Institute (May 2025)

This report examines how state and local governments implement language access measures, finding that while there’s no universal approach, governments can learn from existing efforts and adapt strategies to their own contexts and needs.

“It’s Horrible to Live Like This”: Immigration Policy’s Real-Time Impact on Young Children

By | Child Well-Being, Deportation, Immigrant Families Research, Immigration Enforcement, Research, Research Highlight, Trauma

“It’s Horrible to Live Like This”: Immigration Policy’s Real-Time Impact on Young Children

Juliana Zhou & Elisa Minoff, Center for the Study of Social Policy (July 16, 2025)

This brief details interviews with child care providers who report that the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda is causing families to withdraw toddlers from care, children to experience heightened anxiety, and providers to fear for their own safety while trying to support immigrant families.

State Policies Matter for the Well-Being of Immigrant Parents & the Academic Achievement of Their Young Children

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Families Research, Research, Research Highlight, State Policies

State Policies Matter for the Well-Being of Immigrant Parents & the Academic Achievement of Their Young Children

Kevin Ferreira van Leer, Caitlin Lombardi, Rachel Chazan-Cohen, Vanessa Esquivel, Prisila Isais, and Anne Berset; UConn Collaboratory on School & Child Health (May 2025)

This research brief reviews the impact of state policy exclusions on immigrant family well-being.

Understanding the Needs of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Separated from their Parents during the “Zero Tolerance” Policy in the US: A Systematic Review of the Literature

By | Child Well-Being, Family Separation, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Enforcement, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Understanding the Needs of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Separated from their Parents during the “Zero Tolerance” Policy in the US: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Kristina Lovato, Daniel Hieu Thuan Bui, & Michelle Zaragoza; Children & Youth Services Review (June 2025)

This systematic review highlights mental health and social service outcomes of children forcibly separated from their parents during and following the Zero Tolerance Policy and examines barriers and facilitators in accessing social services upon their release from US detention facilities.

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