This brief, part of NCHE's Best Practices in Homeless Education series, explains the challenges many immigrant and refugee families encounter in adjusting to life in the United States, including integrating into the U.S. public school system. Methods for determining homelessness among immigrant and refugee families and strategies for supporting the integration of immigrant and refugee children into the U.S. schools are discussed. Information presented is geared towards assisting local homeless education liaisons in serving immigrant and refugee students experiencing homelessness.

This brief, part of NCHE's Best Practices in Homeless Education series, explains the challenges many immigrant and refugee families encounter in adjusting to life in the United States, including integrating into the U.S. public school system. Methods for determining homelessness among immigrant and refugee families and strategies for supporting the integration of immigrant and refugee children into the U.S. schools are discussed. Information presented is geared towards assisting Title III programs and community agencies in serving immigrant and refugee students experiencing homelessness.

BRYCS is the Office of Refugee Resettlement's national technical assistance provider on refugee child welfare. BRYCS assists service providers from refugee resettlement agencies; mainstream service agencies, such as child welfare and schools; and ethnic community based organizations. The following list includes a sampling of BRYCS' resources that are particularly useful for schools.
Growing Up in a New Country: A Positive Youth Development Toolkit for Working with Refugees and Immigrants
Involving Refugee Parents in their Children's Education
Multilingual School-Related Resources for Refugee Families
Refugee Child Welfare: Guidance for Schools
Refugee Children in U.S. Schools: A Toolkit for Teachers and School Personnel

This resource from the Foundation for Child Development discusses the demographics and experience of immigrant children in the United States and explains how young children in immigrant families would benefit from quality early education programs to further their integration into American society.

This directory from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) includes over 400 organizations providing a variety of legal services to immigrants across all fifty states. The guide is organized geographically, followed by an alphabetical index of organizations by name. Information about each organization is displayed in a standard one-page format with various fields indicating the services provided, the area and detention facilities served, non-English language services available, and other relevant information.

Attending school and securing lawful status in the United States are two keys to safety and security for undocumented unaccompanied homeless youth. This brief, co-authored by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) and Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), is designed for young people, immigration attorneys and advocates, McKinney-Vento liaisons, and other educators. It provides information about federal laws that provide the means for undocumented unaccompanied youth who are homeless to attend school and address their immigration status.

KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot: Immigrant Families

This data snapshop from the Annie E. Casey Foundation includes national and state-level data about the 15.7 million children in immigrant families currently residing in the U.S., background on why it is critical to help this growing group of children, and resources for improving the well-being of children living in immigrant families.

This report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy highlights the barriers that legal immigrants face as they attempt to enroll in college and complete a degree. Certain barriers have a greater impact on immigrants with the most obvious being limited English proficiency and difficulties integrating into American society. Offering accessible and affordable programs to help immigrants learn English and become familiar with their new country would open the doors to higher education for many immigrants.

This report from the National Collaboration for Youth provides the context of the immigrant youth experience and practical tips for hiring, developing and retaining staff to work with this population. Youth organizations have both an opportunity and a responsibility to encourage and support the healthy development of the growing numbers of immigrant youth. This publication is based on hands-on experience by national and local youth organizations who do this work effectively.

The Challenges of Change: Learning from the Child Care and Early Education Experiences of Immigrant Families

One in every five children in the U.S. is the child of an immigrant. Although quality child care can benefit these children, they are less likely to participate in all types of non-parental care than their U.S.-born peers. To find out why, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) conducted site visits across the country, and sought out immigrant leaders, parents, service providers, and policymakers. This report identifies the main barriers for these families and promising local strategies to improve programs so they're more relevant and accessible for children of immigrants. It also includes policy and research recommendations.

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) partnered with the Center for Community Capital (CCC) at the University of North Carolina to conduct interviews with 25 Latino families who had recently experienced foreclosure. Interviewers asked in-depth questions on a variety of issues related to the overall well-being of the family with a special emphasis on the status of their children. This report summarizes the major findings from these interviews.

These toolkits, from American Humane, provide social workers and other service providers with tips specific to working with immigrant children involved in the U.S. child welfare system.
Download A Social Worker’s Tool Kit for Working With Immigrant Families – Executive Summary
Download A Social Worker's Tool Kit for Working With Immigrant Families – A Child Welfare Flowchart
Download A Social Worker's Tool Kit for Working With Immigrant Families – Healing the Damage: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System
Download A Social Worker's Tool Kit for Working With Immigrant Families – Immigration Status and Relief Options

Unaccompanied Immigrant and Refugee Minors

This webpage from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) provides important information about the challenges faced by unaccompanied immigrant and refugee minors in the United States, including background statistics and information on federal policy and its implications for states.

Undocumented Immigrant Youth: Guide for Advocates and Service Providers

Undocumented foreign-born children face many of the same issues as their peers; but there are unique challenges to protecting and supporting these young people, including ensuring adequate representation in immigration and justice proceedings. This brief from the National Human Services Assembly provides juvenile justice advocates, immigration advocates, and youth-serving agencies with important background information on the complex issues and risks facing these youth, and best practices for collaborating.

These briefs from the Urban Institute provide snapshots of children involved with Child Protective Services (CPS) who have immigrant parents. The research looks at foster care placements, plans for permanent placements, funding, and substantiated cases of sexual abuse. Although immigrant populations and CPS systems vary by state, the researchers said the findings may be broadly applicable to other states with significant immigrant populations.
Child Sexual Abuse: Removals by Child Generation and Ethnicity
Foster Care Placement Settings and Permanency Planning: Patterns by Child Generation and Ethnicity
Title IV-E Funding: Funded Foster Care Placements by Child Generation and Ethnicity

This May 6, 2011, letter from the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice reiterate the federal government's commitment to ensuring that all children and youth are provided with access to a free, appropriate public education, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. The letter provides examples of acceptable and unacceptable enrollment practices for school districts to employ.
Download the accompanying USED/USDOJ fact sheet.