Data from a National Service Perspective: Impact of Service Delivery on Outcomes for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children

For more than 40 years, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) has provided child welfare services to refugee and migrant children who are unaccompanied or separated from family.  These children have typically fled war, civil conflict, persecution, trafficking, extreme poverty, or maltreatment.  Some children come to join family, while others know only that they must leave their homes in order to survive.  LIRS approaches its work with integrity and upholds the following principles in serving children: decision-making based on the best interests of the child; preserving family unity; placements of children in the least restrictive setting; prioritizing child protection; and providing services with quality and innovation.

LIRS provides a range of Foster Care and Family Reunification services to children and families across the United States. LIRS and its local partners help to ensure children’s safety, support family unity, and develop connections that promote community integration and family well-being.  Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is committed to intentional and ongoing dialogue with our networks to deepen the connections that make our work more effective. One topic we are currently exploring is the long-term integration of migrant youth into their communities, and how healthy social connections are fundamental to their success into adulthood.  With our partners, LIRS works to expand the social connections that help refugees and migrants integrate into their communities.

Methods

This study relies on a mixed methods research design. It draws on descriptive statistics of LIRS privileged source data on arrivals as well as qualitative data from four focus groups, and participant observation field notes from a three stakeholder meetings, convening more than 90 total stakeholders from the Children Service network, church leadership, volunteers, community activists, members of the immigrant advocacy community, and refugee and migrant case managers.

Results

Two main themes have emerged from our analysis as areas of primary concern: legal access and the importance of social capital for migrant and refugee families in their adjustment to life in the US. For the former, findings suggest that legal services are one of the most important areas for immigrants—and one of the least understood by migrant and refugee families. For the later, stakeholders identify that migrants and refugees who are socially connected with people outside their immediate family and ethnic community are more successful in every way, including becoming connected and contributing members of their U.S. communities. In the current organization of services, there is a need to explore how these two points might be linked towards improved legal service access and knowledge.

 

Conclusions and Implications

There is a need for improved legal education among our immigrant and refugee clients. At the same time, key stakeholders have emphasized the importance of social capital for immigrant livelihoods. This provides an opportunity to strengthen these bonds, creating more sustainable formal and informal relationships and service delivery. Faith community are a particularly important area for action. Moving forward our challenge will be how to document and collect data in these areas.