The images were tragic. The audio was heart-rending. The practice of separating parents from children at the border not only looked and sounded horrific, it was horrific. My encounters with the children at an Office of Refugee Resettlement “tender age” shelter stay with me. The fear and sadness of being separated from their parents combined with the trauma from their journeys put them at great risk of toxic stress.
I have always been proud to be an AAP Fellow, but I have never been prouder than when we pulled together to help protect these vulnerable immigrant children. A big thank you to all who have spoken out against forced family separation and all who have been creating a welcoming environment and providing care for these children as they enter your communities to start a better life.
From your practices to the public sphere, you have been advocating for protections; providing trauma-informed care; developing partnerships with social service, legal, home-visiting and mental health agencies; and connecting families to resources. It is a testament to the power of pediatricians and all we stand for.
[For more on this story by Colleen A. Kraft, go to http://www.aappublications.org...8/07/24/letter072418]
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