All children deserve to be healthy, with strong and secure families living in safe and welcoming communities. This includes children who have come here as immigrants, children whose parents are immigrants, and children in mixed-status families (where family members have different citizenship or immigration statuses).
In his first days in office, President Trump took several actions that threaten the well-being of California’s children and our country’s economic future, rescinding several important immigration-related orders from the Biden administration and signing a litany of executive orders. We know the devastating consequences these actions will have: instilling fear; creating a chilling effect on children’s participation in health, education and social services; and causing significant economic and social instability.
Our shared values of dignity, freedom and the chance at a brighter future demand we protect all children in immigrant families. Together with our partners, community leaders and families, we will fight for all our children.
Negative Health Impacts of Immigration Enforcement and Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric
Our work ahead is rooted in years of research on the impact of immigration enforcement and anti-immigrant rhetoric on the well-being of children in immigrant families. The following research briefs and reports help inform the approach to our work on mental health, health care and early childhood development:
- Healthy Mind, Healthy Future: Promoting the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children in Immigrant Families (2018, in partnership with the California Immigrant Policy Center): This report aims to inform advocates and policymakers about the effects of hostile immigration policies on children, and recommends specific policies and actions to ensure that children in immigrant families in California are healthy, feel secure and continue to thrive. The report includes results from focus groups and surveys among immigrant families, surveys among health care providers, and key informant interviews among a variety of stakeholders throughout California.
- Public Charge and the Potential Effects of Public Charge Changes on Children (2018, in partnership with Kidsdata.org): This brief provides an overview of the then-proposed public charge regulation, the chilling effect on the use of public programs, and the negative impact on the health and well-being of children in immigrant families.
- The Effect of Hostile Immigration Policies on California Children’s Early Childhood Development (2019): Early childhood programs play an important role in the lives of young children and their families. This report examines the effects of a hostile political climate on the well-being of our youngest Californians and the early childhood workers who support them.
Join Us and Help Protect AND Prepare Our Communities
As multiple reports indicate that the Trump Administration is planning raids across the country, It is important to be prepared and ensure immigrant families know their rights.
Everybody has rights under the U.S. constitution that may be exercise in a situation like a raid.
ALL IN FOR SAFE SCHOOLS
The harmful national political environment toward immigration policy and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is deeply impacting millions of California families and children. From book bans to attacks on the rights of transgender youth and children in immigrant families, these actions threaten the safety, mental health and opportunities of millions of children, particularly those from marginalized communities. To protect their futures, we must prioritize making schools safe, inclusive spaces where all children can learn, grow and thrive.
The Children’s Partnership and Californians Together are relaunching our ALL IN for Safe Schools campaign and coordinating with educators, policymakers, organizations and community partners nationally and across California to ensure that our schools and early learning centers are safe for all families. We want:
- To support educators and early learning providers in creating welcoming spaces and to better serve children in immigrant families in California.
- To protect and strengthen enrollment in health, early learning and social services for immigrant families and their children in California.
- To support the mental health and well-being of children from marginalized communities in California.
GET INVOLVED!
- Go to allinforsafeschools.org for guidance and resources created for K-12 educators and early childhood education professionals to implement safe school policies.
- Sign up for updates about our ALL IN for Safe Schools campaign in California, or email allinforhealth@childrenspartnership.org if you have questions.
- Monitor and support existing and emerging safe school policy initiatives. Read TCP’s Safe School Policy Explainer for up-to-date information and advocacy opportunities related to safe schools policies.
PUBLIC CHARGE
With the Trump administration’s continued attacks on immigrants, changes to the public charge rule are expected. As of February 2025, the final public charge regulation, which went into effect on December 23, 2022, confirms that eligible immigrant families can use safety net programs without immigration concerns, including programs for health care, housing, food, and tax credits. Past, current, and future receipt of these benefits will not be considered public charge. It also protects their future by making it harder for future U.S. presidents to radically change public charge policy and clarifies that a child’s or other family member’s use of federal safety net programs never affects the applicant’s immigration application.
Our nation has long welcomed those seeking to achieve their dreams because we know that our worth—and our potential—is about more than what’s in our pockets. The Children’s Partnership urges elected officials in California, across the country, and at the federal level to support the dignity of immigrants, recognize their contributions to this country, and pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Visit our ALL IN for Health website for a community-friendly resource: Public Charge Roadmap.
KNOW YOUR FAMILY’S HEALTH CARE RIGHTS
Our new Immigrant Health fact sheet includes information on existing options for undocumented and mixed-status families. It outlines health care rights and protections, and provides information about available resources.
Our Queer and Transgender Immigrant Health brochure is designed to help queer and transgender immigrants enroll in Medi-Cal, explore affirming services and file a complaint when necessary. The brochure is available in eight languages.
More resources can be found at ALLINforHealth.org.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA Program)
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides over 800,000 children and young adults with some sense of security and the ability to work legally, is a lifeline and critically important for the well-being of our nation’s children. The Children’s Partnership will work with partners to support those who are DACAmented and work toward a path to citizenship for this community.
Changes to DACA and efforts to end the program, in addition to the harmful negative immigration rhetoric we hear from this administration, is causing fear and panic in communities – putting children at higher risk of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and withdrawal, and harming their healthy development. We know that nearly 25% of DACA recipients are parents. If these parents are detained, deported and/or unable to work legally, their children will also experience a loss of housing and food security.
The research is clear on this: When parents have the opportunity to improve, younger generations do better. That is truly the American dream. The American values of hard work and fairness are part of every family who calls this country home. We urge our leaders to put our nation’s values into action and seek a permanent solution for the 800,000 DACA recipients and the thousands of children and other family members who depend on them.