Describes why children enter child welfare and identifies the most vulnerable group to consist of children of unauthorized immigrants. The impact of immigration raids on families proves particularly traumatic, especially as it may affect the number of parents left in the family. The implications of such raids include fear of child welfare, failure to establish communications between enforcement agencies and child welfare agencies, and arrests of parents causing separation from children. The Migration and Child Welfare National Network addresses issues on consistency in child welfare policies, barriers to effective service delivery, families fearful of accessing benefits, and the need for policy development to address the situation of unaccompanied immigrant children. The impact of migration and acculturation concentrates on the migration experience, acculturation, and its associated stress factors with a focus on maltreatment of youth. The preliminary findings of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being identify the demographics of Latino children by age, gender, caregiver age and income, and language. The child welfare systems need policies and procedures for notification compliance, transnational placement, and early assessment of special relief. Training is available in a number of areas including immigration law, transnational social work, consular notification, cultural awareness, and migration’s impact on families.
