Category

State Policies

Protect Your Children: Temporary Guardianship FAQ

By | Deportation, Detention, Family Separation, Immigration Enforcement, Practice, Practice Highlight, State Policies, Youth & Families

Protect Your Children: Temporary Guardianship FAQ

World Voices Media and La Red Hispana

This website offers state-by-state guidance on designating temporary guardianship to a trusted adult, with FAQs about establishing emergency contacts or temporary caregivers in case parents are detained or deported and separated from their children.

Supporting Immigrant Children and Families in the Child Welfare System: Challenges & Best Practices for Child Welfare Agencies & Practitioners

By | Culture: Issues & Competencies, Deportation, Detention, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Language Issues, New CICW Resources, Parental Interests Directive, Practice, Social Work, Social Workers, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), State Policies, Training & Tools, Trainings, Transnational Resources, Unaccompanied Minors

Supporting Immigrant Children and Families in the Child Welfare System: Challenges & Best Practices for Child Welfare Agencies & Practitioners

Megan Finno-Velasquez and Sophia Sepp, New Mexico State University, School of Social Work (August 2025)

This free comprehensive online training addresses the unique challenges and opportunities when working with immigrant children and families in the child welfare system. It is geared toward child welfare agency administrators, practitioners, and other stakeholders. Three free social work CEUs are available from the NMSU School of Social Work.

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.

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

By | Foster Care, Immigrant Youth, Law & Policy, Social Work, State Policies, State Policy

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; Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services (June 28, 2025)

This policy brief analyzes administrative California child welfare data of undocumented immigrant youth in foster care, finding that immigration status data is often missing and that both U.S. citizens and undocumented youth were more likely to have transition plans than legal residents, highlighting needs for better services and data collection.

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.

From Safe Zones to Uncertainty: State Responses to the Federal Rollback of Sensitive Location Protections in Schools

By | Federal Policy, Immigration Relief, Law & Policy, State Policies

From Safe Zones to Uncertainty: State Responses to the Federal Rollback of Sensitive Location Protections in Schools

Daniel Hieu Thuan Bui, Kristina Lovato, & Carola Suárez-Orozco; Harvard Graduate School of Education (June 2025)

This policy brief, co-authored by Dr. Kristina Lovato, Director of CICW, presents the first comprehensive analysis of state-level guidance on immigration enforcement in schools following federal changes to the Sensitive Locations Policy.

Washington’s Family Separation Response Task Force

By | Family Separation, Immigration Enforcement, Practice, Social Work, Social Workers, State Policies

Washington’s Family Separation Response Task Force

Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families (n.d.)

This page reviews Washington’s Family Separation Response Task Force, created by Governor Ferguson’s in January 2025, which works to improve statewide policies and develop resources to protect children whose parents face immigration detention or deportation.

Understanding the Needs of Immigrant Families Who Are Involved in the Public Child Welfare System: A Case for Transformation

By | Child Welfare System Research, Culture: Issues & Competencies, Immigration Enforcement, Language Issues, New CICW Resources, Peer-Reviewed Publications, Research, Social Work, State Policies

Understanding the Needs of Immigrant Families Who Are Involved in the Public Child Welfare System: A Case for Transformation

Kristina Lovato & Sophia Sepp, Families in Society (May 26, 2025)

This article explores an argument for radical reform of the child welfare system to better serve immigrant children and families who face the dual risks from immigration enforcement and child welfare involvement, proposing policy changes to improve service delivery and equity for these children and families.

How can child protection agencies address the immigration needs of non-citizen children in foster care?

By | Foster Care, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Language Issues, Practice, Practice Highlight, Social Work, Social Workers, State Policies

How can child protection agencies address the immigration needs of non-citizen children in foster care?

Casey Family Programs (March 25, 2025)

This resource reviews key considerations and recommendations on how child protection agencies can address the immigration needs of non-citizen children in foster care.

Implications of state policy context for the well-being of immigrant families with young children

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

Implications of state policy context for the well-being of immigrant families with young children

Kevin Ferreira van Leer, et al., American Journal of Community Psychology (January 15, 2025)

This mixed-methods study explored how state-level social policy exclusions for immigrants are associated with the well-being of immigrant parents and development of their children.

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