Research-Based Guidance for Responding to the Negative Consequences of Border Separations

Child Trends' latest newsletter offers research-based guidance for responding to the negative consequences of border separations.

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Thanks to Kathy Hegberg for pointing us towards this well-researched newsletter by Jessica Dym Bartlett and Maria A. Ramos-Olazagasti on ways to support children and parents affected by the trauma of separation. 

More than 2,300 children have recently suffered the traumatic experience of being forcibly separated from their parents at the United States border. While the president has issued an Executive Order to end the practice of separating children from their parents, we call attention to the critical need that still exists: to support immigrant families who have been negatively affected by the trauma of separation, and who will likely continue to experience considerable adversity in the future, even if reunited with their loved ones. 
 
As public officials and communities turn to reuniting and supporting immigrant children and parents, they face the difficult but essential task of helping these families cope with and recover from trauma caused by separation, detention, and fear of deportation. To respond to the well-documented negative consequences of forcible separation, we offer the following research-based guidance for parents, service providers, communities, and policymakers.  Read more.