Child welfare agencies can face challenges meeting the complex needs of immigrant families. This population has grown steadily in the United States over the last several decades, and while there is no system wide approach to effectively serving immigrant families, many jurisdictions have implemented programs and models at the local level. A recent study by the Center on Immigration and Child Welfare examines some of these models and highlights key components and models so that they can be adapted in other jurisdictions.
The study, “An Examination of Child Welfare Agency Models That Serve Immigrant Children and Families,” was published in March 2024. Researchers collected information from child welfare professionals from seven different agencies in California, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Oregon. Each one-on-one interview focused on 10 domains to capture key components of child welfare practice with immigrant families:
- Structure of the immigration model and staffing
- Citizenship determination
- Consular notification
- Communication with family members
- Legal screening
- Trafficking
- Unaccompanied minors
- International reunification and repatriation
- Parent in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention
- Translation and interpretation services