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CICW 2024 Post-Election Statement

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CICW 2024 Post-Election Statement

Center on Immigration and Child Welfare Initiative (November 11, 2024)

The Center on Immigration and Child Welfare Initiative shares in the collective feelings of grief, uncertainty, and disillusionment in the wake of last week’s 2024 election results. We are deeply troubled by the incoming Trump administration’s promised policy agenda that directly threatens the safety, wellbeing, and futures of millions of children in immigrant families and other vulnerable communities.

For more than a decade, immigrants and their families have been the target of increasingly punitive policies, xenophobic rhetoric, and baseless myths. The CICW was born out of a response to this harmful sociopolitical environment that has endangered the foundations of child protection and well-being, and we remain deeply committed to the fight for a humane immigration system and immigration policies that protect children and families regardless of immigration status.

We are inspired by and stand in solidarity with our fellow advocates, partners, and communities who share in this work with us; and we look to the future with a renewed resolve to surmount these impending challenges and create a country where children of immigrants thrive in their families and communities. The CICW stands with immigrants and marginalized groups as we continue to mobilize for social justice, build power within our communities, and put forth practice-informed research, trainings, and policy work to ensure that all individuals’ rights are protected, regardless of immigration status.

CICW Research Workgroup to Present at SSWR 2024

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CICW Research Workgroup to Present at SSWR 2024

Society for Social Work and Research • January 15th-19th, 2025

Members of the CICW Research Workgroup will present at the upcoming 2025 SSWR Annual Conference in January, including:

All We Carry Film Screening Recap

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All We Carry Film Screening Recap

Center on Immigration and Child Welfare (October 8, 2024)

On October 8th, 2024, Berkeley Social Welfare and CICW co-hosted a powerful documentary film screening of, All We Carry, directed by Cady Vogue, which follows a family’s extraordinary journey as they flee persecution from narcotraffickers in Honduras and endure months in US detention. Upon release, they are sponsored by a synagogue in Seattle and move into a borrowed beachfront home, all while they await their asylum verdict. Over three years, the family navigates countless life-altering and every-day moments where memory, joy, and grief collide.

CICW Director, Dr Kristina Lovato, moderated a panel discussion in which local social service providers and faith communities shared strategies for advocating for, and promoting, immigrant rights and justice. The panelists included:

  • Dr. Allison Tanner, Pastor of Public Witness, Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church
  • Cady Voge, Director, Producer, and Cinematographer, All We Carry
  • Yuliana Wiser-León, Newcomer Navigation Center Director & Padres Unidos Grants Manager, Eden Church
  • Julie McDevitt, Integrated Behavioral Health Clinician, La Clínica de La Raza

Students, faculty, and community members enjoyed this timely discussion on promoting immigrant’s human rights amidst the current socio-political climate.

Emerging Poverty Scholars Fellowship Awarded to CICW Director

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Emerging Poverty Scholars Fellowship Awarded to CICW Director

Center on Immigration & Child Welfare (September 2024)
CICW Director, Dr. Kristina Lovato has been awarded a two-year fellowship from  the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)’s Emerging Poverty Scholars Fellowship program 2024-2026 and will be expand her research on mental health and social service access among unaccompanied immigrant transitional age youth (TAY) to also examine social and economic mobility among this population to better serve their needs.

ISS International Conference: Throughout time, across borders: Navigating child protection and restoring family links

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ISS International Conference: Throughout time, across borders: Navigating child protection and restoring family links

International Social Service • October 9, 2024 • 9am – 6pm CET 

This ISS International Conference will explore issues related to children on the move, family based care, the future of child protection and social work, and more.

Film Screening & Panel Discussion: “All We Carry”

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Film Screening & Panel Discussion: “All We Carry”

UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare • Haviland Hall 340 • October 8th, 4:30pm-7pm PT

The UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare and the CICW will host a film screening and panel discussion of the documentary All We Carry, which follows a Honduran family’s extraordinary journey as they flee persecution from narcotraffickers, endure months in US detention, and await their asylum verdict in Seattle. We invite all in the Bay Area to join us for this special event! More info here

21st Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

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21st Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

Migration Policy Institute, CLINIC, and the Georgetown University Law Center • September 30, 2024

The 21st Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference will bring together leading experts for policy and legal analysis, and discussion of key immigration issues in the U.S. It will feature Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration as the keynote speaker.

Convening on Legal Access & Addressing the Immigration Needs of Foster Children

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Convening on Legal Access & Addressing the Immigration Needs of Foster Children

Rutgers Law School • June 14, 2024

On June 14th, 2024, Rutgers Law School and Casey Family Programs hosted a convening on legal access and addressing the immigration needs of foster children. The event brought together agency leaders, children’s attorneys, practitioners, and other stakeholders from nine jurisdictions with large numbers of immigrant children (AZ, NV, CO, CT, DC, ME, NC, TN, and WA). The goal was to begin a dialogue around best practices, innovations, and areas for improvement in serving immigrant children in the child welfare system, especially with respect to meeting their legal needs.

The event featured three panels. The first was a powerful lived experience panel, “Empowerment through Advocacy: Immigrant Youth Rights,” during which three youth shared about their experiences in the child welfare system, including the importance of legal representation and what is needed from caseworkers. A second panel, “Differing Models for Providing Legal Representation,” highlighted various approaches to providing legal representation to children in custody from New Jersey, New York City and the Children’s Law Center of California.

The third panel, “Aligning the Needs of Immigrant Children and Families with Child Welfare Principles,” was moderated by CICW Director, Dr. Kristina Lovato. This panel discussed the core principles of child welfare – safety, permanency, wellbeing – and highlighted some key tools and model approaches to help address children’s immigration needs. Rachel Konrad with Casey Family Programs shared about the importance of immigration legal supports and a new Immigration Referral Tool for caseworkers and child welfare attorneys. Meredith Pindar with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families discussed how NJ has enabled undocumented family members to become licensed as foster parents. Emily Steiner with the Arizona Department of Child Safety shared an agency perspective on how Arizona DCS is addressing barriers and challenges to serving immigrant children and families.

Convening participants also had the opportunity to engage in breakout sessions and discussions on opportunities and next steps toward enhancing engagement, service provision, and legal access for immigrant children in foster care. We extend our gratitude to Rutgers Law School, Casey Family Programs, and our group of steering committee members for all their hard work in creating this opportunity to bring folks together to dialogue and brainstorm on improving experiences and outcomes for immigrant children who touch the child welfare system.

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