From the Editors
Communications Specialist, Center For Advanced Studies in Child Welfare
Associate Director of Outreach, Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare
Director, Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare
Welcome to the newest issue of CW360° from the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) at the University of Minnesota. This year, we turn our attention to one of the most pressing and deeply human challenges facing child welfare today: supporting immigrant and refugee children, youth, and families as they navigate systems shifting beneath them.
Across the country, immigration policy, enforcement practices, and shifting legal landscapes continue to shape the daily realities of children and families who come into contact with child welfare. For many, questions of safety, belonging, identity, and permanency are inseparable from questions of immigration status. As practitioners, researchers, and advocates, we are called to understand these intersections with nuance, humility, and a commitment to justice.
In this issue, the overview section offers a broad and timely examination of the current sociopolitical landscape and the complex ways immigration status influences the lives of families, unaccompanied minors, and transition‑age youth. Contributors explore agency models that serve immigrant families, the role of immigration courts in child protection, and the ways identity formation and belonging intersect with legal and social service delivery. We also highlight culturally grounded healing practices, reminding us that community wisdom and cultural strengths are essential components of well‑being.
The practice section brings forward concrete strategies and emerging models that support immigrant and refugee families in meaningful, ethical, and effective ways. Authors examine pathways to permanency, the critical role of immigration attorneys for noncitizen youth in foster care, and the impact of home visiting programs tailored to immigrant and refugee communities. Additional pieces address best practices for working with youth born outside the U.S., navigating labor exploitation among unaccompanied children, and understanding the policy and legal challenges that shape practitioners’ daily work. Together, these articles offer a roadmap, or at least a starting point, for agencies and professionals striving to provide informed, compassionate, and culturally responsive services.
In the perspectives section, we hear directly from those whose lives and work are shaped by immigration and child welfare systems. Youth voice, adoptee perspective, and insights from immigration attorneys and advocacy groups illuminate the lived realities behind policy debates and case files. Their experiences underscore the urgency of creating systems that honor identity, protect rights, and promote belonging for all children, regardless of where they were born or the circumstances that brought them into care. We also recognize and acknowledge the challenge of capturing lived expertise in this moment, as there are many fearful of revealing their identity.
As you move through this issue, we invite you to reflect on the ways immigration and child welfare intersect in your own practice, community, or research. The challenges are significant, but so is the opportunity to build systems that are more equitable, more culturally attuned, and more responsive to the strengths and needs of immigrant and refugee families.
We have included a resource guide to support continued learning and action. As with previous issues, references have been removed from the print edition to make space for additional content. A full list of citations are available in a PDF format.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the well‑being of children and families, and for engaging with this critical conversation. Together, we can work toward a child welfare system that recognizes the dignity and humanity of all.