The surge in immigration enforcement across the country is causing fear, stress and disruptions in the daily lives of families with young children in the Bay Area and California, according to new findings from Stanford’s RAPID Survey Project.
RAPID, which launched in 2020, has been surveying parents and caregivers of children under the age of 6 about a variety of issues, including their economic circumstances, well-being and use of childcare. This latest survey, which included 1,265 respondents, found that the current administration’s mass deportation operation is directly impacting parents and young kids of different backgrounds.
“What those parents are telling us is immigration enforcement is affecting families with young children, and it isn’t just an immigration issue,” says Abigail Stewart-Kahn, managing director of the Stanford Center on Early Childhood and co-chair of the RAPID California Advisory Council. “It is increasingly a families with young children issue. It’s not just affecting people targeted by immigration enforcement, but all parents with young children.”
Key Findings
One key finding says that two in five California parents of young children notice the impacts of immigration activities in their community. While 75% reported concerns about reduced safety, belonging and community unity, of this number 78% were immigrant parents and 68% non-immigrant parents.
Impacts of ICE raids that respondents noticed include: children showing signs of fear, stress and anxiety; families being separated or disrupted; and children missing childcare or school.
Respondents were given an opportunity to write about their concerns anonymously in the survey by responding to open-ended questions. Some parents wrote about how immigration enforcement is directly affecting their lives.
“… I really don’t find fair what the president is doing,” a Santa Clara parent wrote. “I understand this is your country, but many people come here to make a better life and they literally don’t have anything in their native country, like me, and that’s so strict that even people with permit to work or in the process of getting their documents get affected. My own brother was denied his case just because, and basically, he’s the only support I have here. …”
Data also showed that 52% of respondents felt increased immigration raids are eroding trust in institutions like schools and health care providers.
This seemed apparent in the responses from some survey participants.
“Current immigration activities going on have instilled fear to go out to buy groceries, attend church and other community events,” a Yuba City parent wrote. “Fear of being detained because of the color of our skin, afraid to speak our native language out in public. …”
Another key finding: 72% reported facing job loss or financial hardships.
In the written responses, several respondents wrote about financial difficulties.
“… I finally got a job, which is a blessing, but also super hard as a single mom to have to work a lot to be able to provide, particularly because I miss my time with my little one,” wrote a Santa Clara mom. “But I suppose immigration is one of the biggest concerns, plus the cuts the president is making. A little help that helps families in need to live. I know many people need it, and also same with immigration. It’s so unfair, many people have nothing, absolutely nothing in their native country, and are being thrown away like trash. I understand there’s some bad people, but it’s pretty unfair that everyone got to pay because of them.”
How Will Results Be Used?
Like other RAPID surveys, Stewart-Kahn hopes policy makers will look at these results and use them when making decisions.
“The way we are choosing to do immigration enforcement is affecting whole communities,” she says. “Stability of community, stability of parents and stability of adults is how we help child development.”
First 5 California, an organization funded by the tobacco tax that provides services to support child development, is offering resources for the mental health impact of ICE activity, Stewart-Kahn says.
“We often think about stress independent from child development. Stability and predictability are important in child development,” she says. “When we talk about people feeling unsafe and stressed, we are talking about creating an environment where young children’s development is likely being impacted.”
Talking to Children
Several survey respondents wrote of their concerns. “My primary concern is the climate of fear impacting many kids and families in my community,” a Los Angeles parent wrote. “Our community includes a large number of immigrant and mixed-status families, and many of my child’s classmates live with the daily anxiety of family separation. The recent presence and aggressive tactics of ICE in our area have significantly increased this fear. …”
It’s so important that young children don’t feel stressed and parents should know how to talk to them about mass deportations and civil unrest, Stewart-Kahn says.
“We know that media is everywhere but, to the extent possible, we should try to shield young children from worrying about news and media,” she says.
Parents should always reassure young children that they are safe at that moment, while also helping them identify trusted adults in their lives that they can go to if they need to talk, Stewart-Kahn says.
“Reinforce that you are a trusted adult and are here if they want to ask more questions,” she says. “They may get messages that this is a forbidden topic, and their worries expand, and then they start to fill in blank spaces on their own.”
It’s important, Stewart-Kahn says, to follow kids’ cues, understand their questions and not provide an adult answer to a young person’s question. Answers should be simple and concrete for young children, she says.
Finally, it’s important to remain calm when talking to kids and to emphasize that feeling worried is normal.
“Engage with young children and ask who might be helping at this moment,” Stewart-Kahn says. “Come up with ideas for who the helpers in our community are. It helps prevent a world view where everything feels scary because this is a big change in policy, and there are wonderful helpers out there and we want children to see both sides of this.”
Teresa Mills-Faraudo is an associate editor at Bay Area Parent.
