Child Welfare and Immigration: Implications for Funders Released by the Foster Care Workgroup
The practice of family separation at the border is garnering significant national outrage over the trauma it’s inflicting on children and the blatant disregard for human rights. Family separation is the most visible of current government actions against immigrants, yet there are multiple strategies being employed that have potential implications for the child welfare system. The Foster Care Workgroup’s newly released publication, Child Welfare and Immigration: Implications for Funders was written by Neha Desai and Melissa Adamson from the National Center for Youth Law and breaks down the multiple policy shifts taking place and the negative impact these policies are having on children and families – including moving from place to place to avoid ICE detection, reluctance to seek medical treatment and public benefits, and mental health issues. The brief concludes with ways that funders can invest in advocacy, research, increased legal representation, and other strategies to mitigate the impact of these harmful policies on children, youth and their families.
The Foster Care Workgroup will hold a webinar with the authors of the brief and staff from Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) on July 25th at 2:00 pm EST / 11 am PST. The webinar will provide an opportunity to learn more about these anti-immigration policies and practices and ways that philanthropy is currently responding, and ask questions about the recommendations in the new publication.