Coming of Age in a New Country: Navigating Schooling and Social Services Among Unaccompanied Immigrant Transitional Age Youth

Background and Purpose:
The number of unaccompanied children (UC) arriving at the U.S.–Mexico border has risen dramatically in the past two decades, with over 146,000 youth apprehended in 2021 alone—primarily from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Many of these youth have fled violence, poverty, and instability, only to face additional barriers upon entry and resettlement in the United States. Once in the U.S., a subset of unaccompanied transitional age youth (TAY) are placed into the child welfare system, where they must navigate the complexities of foster care, education, and legal status, all while coping with the emotional toll of forced migration and separation from caregivers. Despite this growing population, there remains a significant gap in research that explores how unaccompanied immigrant youth integrate into U.S. society—particularly within K–12 school settings—and how they navigate the transition to adulthood while contending with legal precarity and limited systemic support. This study addresses that gap by examining the educational and service-related experiences of immigrant unaccompanied TAY youth. The questions guiding this study are: how are immigrant unaccompanied TAY youth navigating their school-going experiences upon resettlement in the U.S., and how are schools serving their unique academic and mental health needs?

Methods:
This qualitative study draws on in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with three stakeholder groups: (1) unaccompanied immigrant transitional age youth (TAY) who have been or are currently involved in the child welfare system (n=25); (2) child welfare professionals who serve this population (n=25); and (3) community-based service providers supporting immigrant youth via education, legal aid, and mental health (n=25). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to identify key patterns and insights across participant narratives.

Findings:
The analysis revealed four major themes: 1) structural and academic barriers: youth reported significant challenges resettling into school environments due to financial instability, housing insecurity, and inconsistent access to food and transportation, which undermined their capacity to fully engage in academics; 2) language and educational disruption: many UC’s experienced interrupted or limited formal education in their home countries, and upon arrival, struggled to access linguistically appropriate academic support. These barriers limited their ability to complete high school or access vocational and higher education opportunities; 3) gaps in mental health and social services: both UCs and service providers noted limited access to trauma-informed mental health services and culturally responsive care, despite high levels of stress, trauma, and isolation among UC youth; 4) promising practices in newcomer-inclusive schools: schools that adopted inclusive and holistic approaches—emphasizing life-skills, wellness programming, and wraparound support—were described as essential in promoting UC wellbeing, belonging, and successful adaptation.

Implications:
Findings from this study underscore the need for targeted policy and practice reforms that center the experiences of unaccompanied immigrant youth. Social workers must be equipped to provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed support that addresses both immediate needs and long-term goals. Investing in newcomer-inclusive schools, expanding social services, and coordinating across child welfare and immigration systems will be critical in supporting UC youth as they transition into adulthood.