Reunification is Not Enough: Assessing the Needs of Unaccompanied Migrant Youth

Abstract

Unaccompanied migrant youth enter the United States daily to escape violence, political oppression, extreme poverty, and chronic instability in their native countries, or as victims of human trafficking. While some research has investigated why they leave their home countries, very little is known about what happens to them after they begin the process of community integration. The research reported in this article sought to understand how sponsors of children with no postrelease services access and use community services during their first year of integration into a new U.S. community. Findings highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of family reunification and community integration as dynamic, ongoing processes rather than onetime events, and for services to support such integration.