社区黑料

The 24/7 news cycle tends to push certain crises at us for a day or two before other breaking stories come along to replace them. Of course, the human beings caught up in these tragedies don鈥檛 have the luxury of moving on. In the case of the forced separation of immigrant children from their families, young victims continue to face severe adversity.

What is the extent of the crisis? that, at any given time, about 12,500 unaccompanied children are in U.S. government custody. They stay in these government-contracted congregate care facilities鈥攅ssentially, orphanages鈥攆or several weeks to several months, according to Kathryn Shepherd, national advocacy counsel for the Immigration Justice Campaign at the American Immigration Council (Disclosure: my wife, Jennifer Guilfoyle, works for this organization).

Myra Jones-Taylor, chief policy officer of ZERO TO THREE, a national organization devoted to young children, maintains that such conditions harm children. 鈥淪hift workers cannot replace that one consistent caregiver with whom children have an attachment,鈥� she says. 鈥淩eams of research show it鈥檚 detrimental to development.鈥�

Several hundred more children are being held in family detention facilities (which are essentially prisons), typically with their mothers. On a recent visit to a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, Shepherd saw young children with runny noses and pink eye, many of them engaging in regressive behavior like kicking and biting. There are no soft furnishings in these facilities, and the infant formula and other dietary provisions are barely adequate. of 1997 stipulates that these families be released to relatives after 20 days.

鈥淒etention is not humane for babies,鈥� asserts Jones-Taylor. Even well maintained, fully stocked and staffed conditions are inherently damaging. 鈥淭here is no optimal separation from community.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a tough year,鈥� Jones-Taylor admits. 鈥淣obody was prepared for this.鈥� ZERO TO THREE champions legislation and practices that promote physical and mental health for these important years. Significant numbers of children of color were already in crisis before this other crisis came along.

鈥淲e鈥檙e focused on childcare, home visits, health and nutrition,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 no way we could look away from this. As baby champions, we have to raise our voices and bring our expertise.鈥� ZERO TO THREE and formed a united front on the issue with organizations across the country.

Jones-Taylor rejects claims that the current policy is acceptable. 鈥淚鈥檝e heard it said, They鈥檙e so young, they won鈥檛 even remember, but their bodies and brains absolutely remember. Trauma is baked into their neurocircuitry.鈥� She adds, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 wade into immigration policy, but we know child trauma. We can speak with authority and confidence.鈥�

She points to immediate and long-term threats of these policies.

• Immediate: Detention and separation are incredibly stressful ordeals for children who鈥檝e already gone through the stressful experience of getting here. During the journey, at least they had a parent or caregiver to trust. In these circumstances, however, the brain goes into immediate response mode: fight, flight, or freeze. Stress hormones are released and not turned off. That biological response is on constant loop.
• Long term: The mental and physical health outcomes are well known. The cognitive disabilities can persist through adulthood and adult relationships. Children in their first three years are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of trauma because their brains are so plastic and receptive.

The evidence supports Jones-Taylor鈥檚 concerns. She cites the work of ZERO TO THREE board member Charles H. Zeanah, Jr., professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine, and the . Researchers followed the trajectories of children abandoned at or around the time of birth and placed in one of six institutions for young children in Bucharest, Romania. The study found: 鈥淓arly institutionalization leads to profound deficits in many domains examined to date, including cognitive and socio-emotional behaviors, brain activity and structure, alterations in reward sensitivity and processing, and a greatly elevated incidence of psychiatric disorders and impairment.鈥�

The consequences are grave and for many children they may endure, but mental health professionals can provide amelioration. 鈥淭here are things that can be done now,鈥� Jones-Taylor assures. 鈥淔amilies need access to specialized mental health services, including psychotherapy to help children process their trauma and cope. Caregivers need support so they can understand what鈥檚 happening with their child.鈥�

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 社区黑料. Learn more here.