A child’s well-being is inseparable from their family’s stability. Currently, mass deportation policies and racial biases in child welfare systems continue to separate families, creating lasting cycles of stress and grief for both parents and children.  

Separation can lead to anxiety, trust issues, and trauma, but healing is possible through trauma-informed therapy, community-led support that honors a family’s culture and story, and systemic change that prioritizes support over surveillance and punishment. Below are signs and support strategies to help with healing: 

Common Trauma Reactions in Children and Parents 

Children’s Reactions

· Separation anxiety, nightmares, or fear of abandonment

· Regression (e.g., bedwetting, baby talk)

· Aggression, withdrawal, or emotional shutdown

· Attachment disruptions or trust issues

· Depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms

· Academic decline or school refusal

· Identity confusion, especially if placed in culturally disconnected settings

Parents’ Reactions

· Grief, guilt, shame, and helplessness

· Depression and anxiety

· Post-traumatic stress (especially if separation was violent or sudden)

· Difficulty reintegrating after reunification

· Re-traumatization by systems and court processes

· Loss of parental rights due to legal or systemic barriers

Mental Health Supports and Interventions

Individual and Family Therapy

· Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for children

· Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) to rebuild trust

· Narrative therapy to help children and parents process their story

· Attachment-based therapies (e.g., Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy)

· Peer support groups for separated families with shared lived experiences

· Cultural healing practices and rituals

· Storytelling, art therapy, and movement-based trauma work

· Legal-psychological accompaniment models (combining advocacy and care)

Systems-Level Supports

· Safety – Create emotional, physical, and cultural safety for children and families.

· Trustworthiness & Transparency – Be consistent, honest, and clear in communication.

· Collaboration & Empowerment – Involve families in decisions; value their voices and cultural wisdom.

· Cultural Humility – Recognize and respect diverse parenting norms, traditions, and trauma responses.

· Resilience & Strengths Focus – Highlight survival strategies, not just symptoms.

Suggested Resources

· The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)

· RAICES – Legal and community support for immigrant families

· Movement for Family Power – Abolitionist advocacy against family separation in child welfare

· SAMHSA Trauma-Informed Approach Framework