Labor Exploitation of Unaccompanied Children
Kids in Need of Defense (September 13, 2023)
This fact sheet reviews the issue of labor exploitation of unaccompanied children and how this issue can be addressed.
Report on Homeland Security for Children Fiscal Year 2023 Report to Congress
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (September 2023)
This report describes DHS’s efforts to review and incorporate feedback from organizations representing the needs of children, and addresses the identification and protection of unaccompanied minors and family detention.
Addressing the Shift in Child Welfare Practices Serving Latinx Immigrant Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Policy Recommendations and Future Directions
Marisol Sanchez, Socorro Ramirez-Gamiño; Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (2023)
This policy brief reviews recent research on child welfare agency practices serving immigrants during the pandemic and offers four policy recommendations to response to the needs of immigrant families in the child welfare system.
“It felt like hitting rock bottom”: A qualitative exploration of the mental health impacts of immigration enforcement and discrimination on US-citizen, Mexican children
Jamile Tellez Lieberman, Carmen R. Valdez, Jessie Kemmick Pintor, Philippe Weisz, Amy Carroll-Scott, Kevin Wagner & Ana P. Martinez-Donate; Latino Studies (May 15, 2023)
This qualitative study examines children’s experiences of discrimination, parental deportation or threat thereof, and perceived impacts on mental health, and revealed detrimental impacts to their psychological well-being.
Strengthening Border Families: Data Highlights from Interviews & Focus Groups with Immigrant Caregivers
Megan Finno-Velasquez and Sophia Sepp; Center on Immigration and Child Welfare (June 2023)
This report details the findings and implications from the third phase of the Strengthening Border Families study, which interviewed immigrant caregivers with young children in Doña Ana County about their experiences accessing a broad range of supportive services. Read the report in Spanish here.
Still at Risk: The Urgent Need to Address Immigration Enforcement’s Harms to Children
Nicole Chávez, Suma Setty, Hannah Liu, and Wendy Cervantes; CLASP & UnidosUS (June 13, 2023)
This report examines trends in U.S. interior immigration enforcement, outlines the negative effects for children with respect to economic security, food access, housing stability, mental health, and educational outcomes, and provides recommendations for local, state, and federal governments to mitigate these harms.
Strengthening Medical and Mental Health Services for Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities
Jonathan Beier, Karla Fredricks, & Courtney Mosley, Migration Policy Institute (April 24, 2023)
This webinar discusses findings from a recent study on unaccompanied children’s access to medical and mental health services after release from federal custody, highlighting barriers to care and recommendations to strengthen and improve access to these services for UCs. Audio, video, and Powerpoint slides are available and detailed results can be found in the new report A Path to Meeting the Medical and Mental Health Needs of Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities.
Care or Control? Reexamining the immigration system in place for youth and children
Migration Center, University of South Carolina (May 5, 2023)
This webinar reviews key policies, programs, and services that impact migrant youth and their families, including conditions in countries of origin, pathways from detention to sponsor release, community integration, and deportation.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement Needs To Improve Its Oversight Related to the Placement and Transfer of Unaccompanied Children
Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (May 2023)
This report analyses the adherence of the Office of Refugee Resettlement to its policies and procedures related to making initial placements of unaccompanied children in care provider facilities and when transferring children between facilities and offers recommendations for improvement.
Unaccompanied immigrant children in long-term foster care: Identifying and operationalizing child welfare outcomes
Thomas M. Crea, Kerri Evans, Anayeli Lopez, Robert G. Hasson III, Caroline Palleschi, & Libby Sittley; Child and Family Social Work (January 22, 2022)
This article explores the definitions and various components of safety, permanency and well-being for unaccompanied children in long-term foster care under the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
