A recent report by Child Trends estimates that more than 127,000 foreign children will enter the U.S. by the end of 2016, up from about 90,000 in 2015. Each of these children has a legal designation. That designation—not their physical or psychological needs, or even the mere fact that they are children—determines the level of support and protection they receive under U.S. law.
Child Trends’ researchers found that the overwhelming majority have experienced various forms of trauma. When trauma is not buffered by adults, it can result in toxic stress, threatening children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, and their long-term health.
Chief among the traumas experienced by children fleeing their homes for the U.S. are violence, loss of their homes and communities, and separation from family members. Immigrant children who have been separated from one or both parents may experience a sense of abandonment, detachment, and despair, particular at the beginning of the separation. Children who have lost parental ties also have higher levels of anxiety and food insecurity.
Childhood trauma can have lifelong consequences if it is not addressed. In the case of children who seek refuge here, there are things we can do to mitigate risks and promote positive outcomes:
We can keep families together and strong.
We can make schools safe and supportive places.
We can build welcoming communities.
We can address the effects of trauma.
To read Carol Emig, President of Child Trends, article please click here.
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