state and county innovations in practice with latino families

NYC ACS:SIJS¡ Worker and ACS attorney screen for SIJS eligibility¡ Case referred to outside immigration attorney, paidfor by foster care agency and reimbursed by ACS¡ Guidelines and resources for child welfare agenciesto develop expertise in SIJSSource: Immigration and Language Guidelines for ChildWelfare Staff (2nd Edition)

NYC ACS: PLACEMENT WITH RELATIVES¡ Can do placements with undocumented relatives¡ However, must be able to demonstrate visible meansof financial support other than the foster care rate¡ Relatives in other countries can be considered as adischarge resourceSource: Immigration and Language Guidelines for ChildWelfare Staff (2nd Edition)

NYC ACS: LANGUAGE ACCESS INITIATIVE¡ Language Identification Tool¡ Family members not allowed to interpret for anotherfamily member.¡ Bilingual worker recruitment¡ Telephonic interpreter system¡ Outstationed Spanish language interpreters to fieldoffices¡ Secondary review of translations¡ Language determination incorporated into data systemSource: Immigration and Language Guidelines for ChildWelfare Staff (2nd Edition); Annie E. Casey Foundation(2007)

NYC ACS: IMMIGRANT COMMUNITYPARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE¡ Asociación Tepeyac de New York¡ Community Education Forums¡ Cultural Competence Training¡ Interpretation¡ Family Case-Conferencing¡ Assistance in Engaging Families¡ Information & Referral to Support ServicesSource: Annie E. Casey Foundation (2007)

TEXAS DFPS:BACKGROUND¡ 30,000 children in care¡ Border state¡ In 2000s, large increase in immigrant children, mostfrom Latin America (Mexico)¡ Immigrant children and children of immigrantsunderrepresented in foster careSource: Vericker, Kuehn, & Capps, 2007; DFPSimmigration policy lead

TEXAS DFPS:IMMIGRATION STATUS & SERVICES¡ Verification of immigration status is required for thepurposes of service.¡ Worker assessment guide for child immigrationstatus.¡ Services are provided without regard to a parent orchild’s immigration statusSource: http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/handbooks/CPS/Files/CPS_pg_6700.asp#CPS_6700

TEXAS DFPS:CONSULAR INVOLVEMENT¡ Broad consular notification policy for foreign nationalchildren only.¡ Lead immigration attorney notified by worker to contactforeign consulate.¡ Contract with ISS for home studies when consulates areunresponsive§ Except in the case of Mexico, they go through borderliaisons.¡ MOU with various Mexican Consulates in renegotiation§ 4 border liaison staff designated as direct contacts forMexican consular requests (home studies, other services)Source:http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/handbooks/CPS/Files/CPS_pg_6700.asp#CPS_6700; DFPS immigration policy lead

TEXAS DFPS:SIJS¡ 3 immigration specialists (non-attorneys) at the statelevel¡ 1 state level immigration attorney¡ Caseworker/regional attorney screening and referral toimmigration specialist for assessment and processing ofSIJSSource: http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/handbooks/CPS/Files/CPS_pg_6700.asp#CPS_6700

TEXAS DFPS:PLACEMENT WITH RELATIVES¡ Can do placements with undocumented relatives:unlicensed and unfunded¡ CPS staff must explore all available permanency options,including return to parents, relatives and/or significantothers in the U.S. or in the country of origin¡ Placement in foreign country based on published criteriafor deciding whether to repatriate a childSource: http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/handbooks/CPS/Files/CPS_pg_6700.asp#CPS_6700

TEXAS DFPS:LANGUAGE ACCESS¡ May not use family and friends as interpreters¡ Spanish language website¡ Contracted telephonic interpretation services forintake¡ Need for and effort to provide language servicesand assign bilingual workers documented in datamanagement system¡ Must attempt to match placements with languageneedsSource: http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/handbooks/CPS/Files/CPS_pg_6700.asp#CPS_6700

TEXAS DFPS:UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS¡ Procedures for repatriation¡ Procedures for transportation of undocumentedpersons§ Border checkpoint crossing issuesSource: Source:http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/handbooks/CPS/Files/CPS_pg_6700.asp#CPS_6700; DFPS immigrationpolicy lead

ILLINOIS DCFS:BACKGROUND¡ 16,000 children in care¡ Large Latino population¡ Illinois New Americans Integration Initiative¡ Burgos Consent DecreeSource:http://www.migrationinformation.org/integrationawards/winners-illinois.cfm

ILLINOIS DCFS:BURGOS CONSENT DECREE¡ Families have the right to:§ receive DCFS documents and correspondence in Spanish§ receive services in Spanish§ Have children placed with a Spanish-speaking, bilingualfoster family§ have access to a Spanish-English interpreter§ Brochures in English and Spanish¡ Estabished§ Office of Latino Services§ Latino ConsortiumSource: http://www.state.il.us/dcfs/library/index.shtml;http://www.latinoconsortium.org/; www.state.il.us/DCFS/docs/Burgos_Bro.pdf

ILLINOIS DCFS:IMMIGRATION STATUS & SERVICES¡ Workers are required to establish ancestry of everychild taken into protective custody.¡ Guide for Parents who are Mexican Nationals, isdistributed to all Latino subjects of reportsSource: http://www.state.il.us/dcfs/policy/pr_policy_policyguide.shtml

IL DCFS:CONSULAR INVOLVEMENT¡ Broad notification policy for foreign national childrenfrom all countries¡ Workers required to notify Office of Latino Servicesupon§ Taking protective custody of a Mexican or MexicanAmerican minor§ Learning that a non-custodial parent lives in MexicoSource: http://www.state.il.us/dcfs/policy/pr_policy_policyguide.shtml

IL DCFS:MOU WITH MEXICAN CONSULATE¡ 1 st ever, established in 2001¡ Comprehensive provisions§ Proof of Mexican nationality§ SIJS§ Cooperation with DIFSource: MOU between the State of IL DCFS and TheConsulate General of Mexico in Chicago

IL DCFS:SIJS¡ Caseworker screens, refers to Immigration ServicesUnit¡ SIJS policy guide with screening questionsSource: www.f2f.ca.gov/res/pdf/PolicyGuideImmigration.pdf

IL DCFS:PLACEMENT WITH RELATIVES¡ Immigration status of a relative caregiver should nothinder the placement of a relative child in the homeas long as requirements for placement with relativeand placement in unlicensed homes are met.¡ Payment to immigrant relatives is processed throughSSN or ITIN§ If no SSN, DCFS assists relative in applying for ITINSource: www.f2f.ca.gov/res/pdf/PolicyGuideImmigration.pdf

IL DCFS: UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS¡ Policy requires developing case plan for emergencyplacement due to deportation proceedings ifnecessary

¡ Border state¡ Latino majority¡ 2,300 children in care¡ Rural/urban dichotomyNEW MEXICO CYFD:BACKGROUNDSource: Finno & Bearzi, 2010

NEW MEXICO CYFD:IMMIGRATION STATUS & SERVICES¡ State agency bound by laws of confidentiality—immigration status is confidential¡ Serve children and families regardless of nationalorigin or immigration statusSource: Finno & Bearzi, 2010

NEW MEXICO CYFD:CONSULAR INVOLVEMENT¡ Broad policy for notification of custody of foreignnational children¡ Joint MOU with 2 Mexican Consulates requiresnotification for Mexican nationals§ “Mexican national” means any person who was born in Mexicoor elsewhere of at least one Mexican national parent,regardless of immigration status in the United States ofAmerica.§ Provisions for location of family members, evidence anddocumentation, home studies, placement monitoring,repatriation to MexicoSource: MOU between Mexican Consulates in El Paso &Albuquerque and CYFD

NEW MEXICO CYFD:CONSULAR INVOLVEMENT¡ Collaboration where a parent may have crossed theborder with the intention of evading local authoritiesand laws involving child abuse¡ Collaboration for Mexican parents whose children areborn in US hospital or receive medical care in the US¡ Joint participation in outreach activities: MobileConsulatesSource: MOU between Mexican Consulates in El Paso &Albuquerque and CYFD

NEW MEXICO CYFD:IMMIGRATION LIAISON¡ Immigration liaison (non-attorney) responsible forfiling for SIJS¡ Data tracking on immigrant children and families¡ Monitor compliance with consular notification¡ Coordinate efforts with foreign consulates¡ Resource and training to field staffSource: Finno & Bearzi, 2010

NEW MEXICO CYFD:PLACEMENT WITH RELATIVES¡ Cannot consider foster care or kin placement withundocumented relatives¡ Can consider relatives in other countries with homestudiesSource: Finno & Bearzi, 2010

NEW MEXICO: LANGUAGE ACCESS¡ Protocol for providing language services in localoffices¡ Contracted telephonic interpretation services foremergency use and investigations