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E.g., 04/24/2024
Children & Family Policy

Children & Family Policy

Children of immigrants are the fastest growing component of the U.S. child population, representing 24 percent of all U.S. children. Immigrant families in the United States are concentrated at the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum. Thus, policies that advantage or disadvantage families in general and low-income families with children in particular, such as early schooling, family literacy, and day care will have far-reaching impacts. At the same time, policies affecting families will increasingly be judged by their effects on the health, well-being, and school readiness and success of immigrant children.

Recent Activity

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Multimedia
November 5, 2021
Immigrant Integration: Essential to the Success of Immigration Policy
Cover image for "Diversifying" Social Investment: European Welfare States and Immigrant Integration in the Wake of the COVID-19 Crisis
Reports
September 2021
"Diversifying" Social Investment: European Welfare States and Immigrant Integration in the Wake of the COVID-19 Crisis
By  Anton Hemerijck and Liam Patuzzi
Multimedia
July 21, 2021
Supporting Unaccompanied Children in the U.S. Communities Where They Live
Multimedia
June 16, 2021
A First Step Towards Equity for Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood Systems: Identifying Their Language Needs and Characteristics
Bhutanese refugee sits on bed in family's apartment in New York
Commentaries
June 2021
A Solvable Challenge: Improving Asylee Access to Health and Other Benefits
By  Essey Workie, Mark Greenberg and Lillie Hinkle
Commentaries
June 2021
Rebuilding the U.S. Education System for the Nation’s English Learners
By  Melissa Lazarin and Jazmin Flores Peña
Cover image for Strengthening Services for Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities
Reports
June 2021
Strengthening Services for Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities
By  Mark Greenberg, Kylie Grow, Stephanie Heredia, Kira Monin and Essey Workie
Cover image for Ending the Invisibility of Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood Systems: A Framework for DLL Identification
Policy Briefs
May 2021
Ending the Invisibility of Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood Systems: A Framework for DLL Identification
By  Maki Park and Delia Pompa

Pages

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Reports
December 2018
Promoting Refugee Integration in Challenging Times: The Potential of Two-Generation Strategies
By  Mark Greenberg, Julia Gelatt, Jessica Bolter, Essey Workie and Isabelle Charo
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Reports
November 2018
Minnesota’s Superdiverse and Growing Dual Language Learner Child Population
By  Caitlin Katsiaficas and Maki Park
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Policy Briefs
November 2018
Gauging the Impact of DHS’ Proposed Public-Charge Rule on U.S. Immigration
By  Randy Capps, Mark Greenberg, Michael Fix and Jie Zong
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Policy Briefs
June 2018
A Matter of Design: English Learner Program Models in K-12 Education
By  Julie Sugarman
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Reports
June 2018
Chilling Effects: The Expected Public Charge Rule and Its Impact on Legal Immigrant Families’ Public Benefits Use
By  Jeanne Batalova, Michael Fix and Mark Greenberg
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Reports
April 2018
Responding to the ECEC Needs of Children of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Europe and North America
By  Maki Park, Caitlin Katsiaficas and Margie McHugh
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Reports
February 2018
Growing Superdiversity among Young U.S. Dual Language Learners and Its Implications
By  Maki Park, Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
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Reports
February 2018
Mainstreaming 2.0: How Europe’s Education Systems Can Boost Migrant Inclusion
By  Aliyyah Ahad and Meghan Benton

Pages

Feature
April 1, 2007
Pathways to Success for the Second Generation in Europe

There is an ongoing debate over the children born to Europe's guest workers of the 1960s and 1970s: Can they move up the educational ladder, or will they form a new underclass in Europe's largest cities? Maurice Crul of the University of Amsterdam compares outcomes for second-generation Turkish children across five countries.

Feature
October 1, 2006
The Second Generation in Early Adulthood: New Findings from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study

A decade-long panel survey conducted in San Diego, California, and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, reveals different outcomes among members of the second generation in education, employment, acculturation, incarceration, and family formation. Rubén G. Rumbaut of the University of California, Irvine and Alejandro Portes of Princeton University provide an overview of the latest results.

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Audio
January 25, 2019

Building the Foundations for Inclusion: What Does the Future Hold for Immigrant Integration in Europe?

This meeting highlighted lessons from MPI Europe’s flagship Integration Futures initiative, which seeks to develop creative and strategic approaches to addressing today’s most difficult and pressing integration challenges—and to better plan for those around the corner.

flickr 25944533204_cb4e9bcf7c_z (1) United Way of the Lower Mainland
Video, Audio
December 13, 2018

Exploring the Potential of Two-Generation Strategies in Refugee Integration

On this webinar, MPI researchers and Utah and Colorado refugee coordinators explore promising practices to better serve refugee families, including education services for refugee youth, innovative efforts to secure better jobs for adult refugees, and other services designed to aid integration over time.

Mandy Manning and Margie McHugh
Video, Audio
November 20, 2018

Building Bridges Not Walls: Key Lessons from the 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report on Migration and Displacement

Marking the U.S.

flickr province of british columbia Minister of State visits early childhood development centre
Video, Audio
August 29, 2018

Young Children in Refugee Families and Early Childhood Programs: Ways to Mitigate the Effects of Trauma

Experts discuss the effects of trauma on the development of young refugee children, and highlight ways early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs can address this trauma, including practical strategies that child-care providers in Canada are using to support the resiliency of refugee children and families. 

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Video, Audio
June 27, 2018

K-12 Instructional Models for English Learners: What They Are and Why They Matter

Marking the release of an MPI brief, experts on this webinar examine the key features of English Learner (EL) instructional models and discuss state- and district-level approaches to supporting schools in implementing effective EL program models, with a particular focus on what is being done in New York and M

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Recent Activity

Reports
May 2021

Taking Stock of Dual Language Learner Identification and Strengthening Procedures and Policies

Across the United States, Dual Language Learners (DLLs) are a diverse and growing group of young children. Yet data on DLLs in early childhood programs are scarce. This report examines federal, state, and local approaches to DLL identification, as well as opportunities to advance more comprehensive policies and practices—critical steps toward supporting these children’s school readiness and future success.

Video, Audio, Webinars
April 21, 2021

Disparities Facing U.S. Children in Immigrant Families: New Data and Ideas for Indicators to Promote Equity

MPI analysts discuss their analysis comparing key sociodemographic characteristics of immigrant and U.S.-born parents of young and school-age children, along with the two-generational implications of these findings. Speakers also explored potential ways to incorporate measures with an eye to achieving more responsive and effective service designs and improving equity and access more generally for these families.

Fact Sheets
April 2021

Immigrant and U.S.-Born Parents of Young and Elementary-School-Age Children: Key Sociodemographic Characteristics

Parents play an important role in supporting their children’s education, but certain factors—such as limited English proficiency, low levels of formal education, and digital access barriers—can make it difficult to do so. This fact sheet series looks at the characteristics of immigrant and U.S.-born parents of young and elementary-school-age children in 31 states and nationwide, and discusses how taking a two-generation approach to services can benefit entire families.

Commentaries
January 2021

Nearly 3 Million U.S. Citizens and Legal Immigrants Initially Excluded under the CARES Act Are Covered under the December 2020 COVID-19 Stimulus

The pandemic-recovery stimulus package that passed Congress in December rectified what many had viewed as a significant oversight in the earlier CARES Act: Its exclusion of U.S. citizens and legal immigrants in mixed-status families. MPI researchers estimate nearly 3 million U.S. citizens and legal immigrants excluded from the earlier legislation can receive the later relief, as well as qualify retroactively for the CARES Act payment, as this commentary explores.

Commentaries
December 2020

Anticipated “Chilling Effects” of the Public-Charge Rule Are Real: Census Data Reflect Steep Decline in Benefits Use by Immigrant Families

Researchers, service providers, and others have long predicted that sweeping revisions by the Trump administration to the definition of who constitutes a public charge would deter large numbers of immigrant-led households from using federal means-tested public benefits for which they are eligible. Recently released Census Bureau data show they were right: During the administration's first three years, program participation declined twice as fast among noncitizens as citizens.

Commentaries
December 2020

How the Fear of Immigration Enforcement Affects the Mental Health of Latino Youth

The prevalence of mental-health symptoms among Latino high school students, immigrant and U.S. born alike, is closely related to their fears of immigration enforcement. And the situation may have worsened since the researchers sampled this population, given the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic hardship have increased the stress on Latino communities that have been hit disproportionately hard, as this commentary explores.

Video, Webinars
September 21, 2020

17th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

This year’s Immigration Law and Policy Conference examines the immigration policy agenda under the Trump administration, including changes in the asylum system; the vast societal upheaval brought on by COVID-19 and the rising racial justice movement; what the future of U.S. immigration may look like; and many other topics related to U.S. immigration policy.

Video, Audio, Webinars
October 21, 2020

Lessons from the Pandemic: Weaknesses in K-12 Teacher Education Policies Fuel Inequities Facing English Learners

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of education, and it is expected that English Learners (ELs) will suffer disproportionate impacts. In this webcast, panelists discuss how weaknesses in existing EL teacher education and professional development policies have played into schools’ uneven response to the pandemic. They also offer lessons for future reform.

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