Thursday, July 5, 3 p.m.- 4 p.m. (EST)

If you prefer to use your phone for audio, call in by dialing +1 (213) 929-4232;

Access Code: 683-249-258;

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Webinar

Agenda & Speakers

Welcome: Pat Nichols, Interim President and CEO, LIRS

Moderator: Javier Cuebas, Director of Advocacy, LIRS

Trends, Impact and Emotional Cost of Family Separation: Kay Bellor, Vice President for Programs, LIRS

A Visit to the Southern Border: The role of non-profit groups in raising national awareness: Abel Nunez,

Executive Director, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

An Update from the Field: Claudia Muñoz, Immigration Programs Director, Grassroots Leadership

Legislative Update on Family Separation and Immigration Legislation: Cory Shindel, Esq., Policy

Associate, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

Faith Voices and Family Reunification: Rev. Sharon Baglyos, Associate Director for Outreach, LIRS

A Call to Action: What can you do to help?: Diana Guelespe, Refugee Advocacy Officer, LIRS

Q&A: Javier Cuebas, LIRS

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Trends, Impact and Emotional Cost of

Family Separation

Speaker: Kay Bellor, Vice President for Programs,

LIRS

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Program Specifics:Transitional Foster Care (TFC)

• Goal: Temporarily provide care to UC, assess needs, provide services, and to explore family reunification options

• An initial placement option for UC entering the US without legal status, in the least restrictive setting possible

• Serves children under age 17

• UC attend on-site school, receive medical care and therapeutic services, access legal consultation, and explore family reunification options regularly

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Impacts of Separation on Children & Families

• Threat to medical and mental health, and thus, well-being

• Variations of traumatic experiences outside the common United States lexicon of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

• Difficult adjustment periods from TFC to sponsor or reunification with caregiver in US or in home country

• Separation from a caregiver generally shows higher risk for experiencing negative outcomes

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Impacts from the Eyes of TFC Providers (LIRS)• Being separated from a parent seems to impact children more than

being separated from an uncle, aunt or older sibling

o The expectation that they would stay in the care of parents

o Unprepared for separation, and too young to comprehend the ‘why’

• Children are emotional, distraught, and anxious

• Emotional distress is compounded by additional stressors

o Chronic or acute medical conditions

o Parentified responsibilities/role for sibling(s)

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Safety, Trust, and Communication• Communication challenges are barriers to safety and trust

• Young minors may arrive to TFC care, with barely a name, let alone the episode of separation, name of parents, birth place or date, emotional or physical needs

• TFC staff must search, reach out and dig for this information, hoping that the parent/caregiver has provided such information

• Researching children taxes time and resources, better used to develop safe and trustworthy program environments for these children

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TFC – Responding to Family Separation

• Spend more time on discovering who these children are, to inform care and health services

• Play therapy

• Adaptation of group therapy approaches to acculturative and exploratory experiences with foster parents and families

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A Visit to the Southern Border: The role of

non-profit groups in raising national

awareness

Speaker: Abel Nunez, Executive Director, CARECEN

Vigil being held at the southern border. Photo credit: Abel Nunez

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An Update from the Field

Speaker: Claudia Muñoz, Immigration

Programs Director, Grassroots Leadership

Photo credit: Steve Pavey

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Legislative Update on Family Separation

and Immigration Legislation

Speaker: Cory Shindel, Esq., Policy Associate, KIND

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Faith Voices and Family Unification

Speaker: Pastor Sharon Baglyos,

Associate Director for Outreach, LIRS

Church World Service holds an interfaith vigil outside the Capitol on World Refugee Day. Photo credit: Diana Guelespe

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A Call to Action: What can you do to help?

Speaker: Diana Guelespe, Refugee Advocacy Officer, LIRS

• Contact Your Members of Congress

• Donate

• Educate

** Crossing the Line: An Inside Look at Family Separation

Webinar Toolkit will be shared through email **

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Questions?

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Thank you for joining!