Working With Refugee/Immigrant Families

Issues relevant to working with refugee/immigrant families.

Children of Immigrants: Family and Parental Characteristics (PDF - 100 KB)
Chaudry & Fortuny (2010)
Describes the family circumstances of the children of immigrants, including family structure and parental employment. This data brief is the second in a series.

Immigrant Children
The Future of Children, 21(1), 2011
Presents a current review of research in articles about the well-being of immigrant youth in the United States and addresses educational outcomes and social health.

The Impact of Immigration Enforcement on Child Welfare (PDF - 418 KB)
Cervantes & Lincroft (2010)
Analyzes the impact of immigration enforcement on families, children, and State child welfare agencies.

In the Child's Best Interest? The Consequences of Losing a Lawful Immigrant Parent to Deportation (PDF - 587 KB)
University of California (2010)
Examines how U.S. citizen children are affected by the forced deportation of their lawful permanent resident parents and proposes ways to reform U.S. law to improve their lives.

Intimate Partner Violence in Immigrant and Refugee Communities: Challenges, Promising Practices and Recommendations
Family Violence Prevention Fund (2009)
Describes intimate partner violence in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States, examines the legal rights and practical challenges facing these victims, and presents promising practices from systems that serve immigrant and refugee families.

Meeting the Needs of Immigrant Children and Youth in Child Welfare (PDF - 74 KB)
National Association of Social Workers
Children, Youth & Families: Practice Update, June 2010
Discusses challenges facing immigrant children, youth, and family involved in the child welfare system and the social workers providing services to this population.

Raising Children in a New Country: A Toolkit for Working With Newcomer Parents (PDF - 387 KB)
Schmidt (2005)
Toolkit for developing parenting services to refugee families.

Refugees and the U.S. Child Welfare System: Background Information for Service Providers (PDF - 324 KB)
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (2006)
Supplies a toolkit for professionals working with refugees to help build understanding of the child welfare system, encourage strong links between child welfare services and refugee resettlement agencies, and increase the responsiveness and cultural sensitivity to refugee children, youth, and families.

Serving Immigrant Families (PDF - 3123 KB)
Virginia Department of Social Services
Virginia Child Protection Newsletter, 90, 2011
Focuses on child protection services for immigrant families and reviews different types of immigrants and unique challenges facing these populations. The article also encourages culturally competent practice and addresses methods for working with immigrant families.

A Social Worker's Tool Kit for Working With Immigrant Families: Healing the Damage: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System (PDF - 597 KB)
American Humane Association & Migration and Child Welfare National Network (2010)
Describes strategies to build an organization's capacity to better respond to the needs of immigrant families exposed to child maltreatment, domestic and community violence, and other traumatic stressors.

Supporting Refugee Families: Adapting Family Strengthening Programs that Build on Assets (PDF - 87 KB)
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (2010)
Provides resources and suggestions for adapting family strengthening programs for use with refugee populations.

Untangling the Web: Immigration Law and Child Welfare Practice (PDF - 956 KB)
Rome
Michigan Child Welfare Law Journal, 12(1), 2008
Examines the complex interactions between child welfare and immigration law, and discusses ways legal professionals can more effectively promote permanency, safety, and well-being for immigrant children.

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State and local examples

Foster Care for Unaccompanied Refugee and Immigrant Children: Frequently Asked Questions (Word - 30 KB)
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops & Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (2011)
Provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) foster care program, including eligibility requirements, length of care, services available, and the difference between URM foster care and domestic foster care. The URM program is available in 15 States.