These steps should be taken before any enforcement action occurs. Parents who designate a caregiver and create a preparedness plan can keep their children out of the foster care system if they are detained.

Checklist of actions to take now:

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center's most comprehensive preparedness guide, updated with California's Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2026. Covers guardianship nomination (Form GC-211), Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit, joint guardianship, and document planning. Available in English and Spanish.

The Catholic Legal Immigration Network's state-by-state directory of guardianship laws, forms, estate planning resources, and consular contacts. Covers all 50 states. Includes consular contact information for families from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Haiti, and other countries.

Plain-language, step-by-step guide on building a family preparedness plan including guardianship designation, power of attorney, financial planning, and document organization. Explains the difference between guardianship, Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit, and power of attorney in clear terms.

Use this tool to locate a detained family member using their full name and country of birth, or their A-Number (9-digit alien registration number). Children's schools and medical providers may also need this number to contact a detained parent regarding child welfare or guardianship proceedings.

Research confirms that parental detention and deportation are adverse childhood experiences with lasting mental health impacts. These resources support children, caregivers, and service providers.

The NCTSN provides trauma-informed tip sheets for caregivers, parents, and clinicians supporting children who have experienced traumatic separation due to a parent's detention or deportation. Includes guidance on creating safe environments, addressing behavioral changes, and maintaining cultural connections.

A 2026 guide from University of Minnesota infant and child mental health professionals. Offers practical tools for caregivers, teachers, and neighbors on supporting children through parental deportation or detention. Available in English, Spanish, Somali, Haitian Creole, Pashto, and Dari.

The AAP's guidance for parents and caregivers of immigrant children facing detention and separation fears. Includes what to say to children, how to limit harmful media exposure, and how to access pediatric mental health support. Links to NCTSN resources and legal service directories.

A curated library of resources for youth and caregivers coping with deportation-related grief and loss. Includes caregiver guides, NCTSN tip sheets, books for children of various ages (3–14), and a national directory of affordable therapeutic services for children ages 2–17.

A resource center designed for early childhood professionals and caregivers working with children under 5 affected by deportation, forced separation, or mixed-status households. Includes trauma-informed guidance, safe space policy resources for childcare providers, and connection to legal aid.

A searchable directory of mental health providers who specialize in the Latinx community, including therapists who offer services in Spanish and are experienced with immigration-related trauma. Includes crisis hotlines and national mental health resources.

The complete NCTSN collection of resources on traumatic separation, including tip sheets for clinicians, webinars on culturally responsive care for Latin American children, and guides for talking with children about deportation. Recommended for AFU members who are also working with service providers or schools.

Families should be aware of how the child welfare system and immigration enforcement can interact. Being informed helps families protect their children and parental rights.

The only national organization that pairs volunteer child advocates with attorneys and social workers to represent unaccompanied and separated immigrant children in government custody. Their Technical Assistance Program also advises detained parents on care plans and supports international reunification when a parent is deported without their child.

A detailed policy and practice guide explaining the intersection of ICE enforcement and child welfare systems. Covers the ICE Parental Interests Directive, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) for youth in foster care, and best practices for child welfare agencies on trauma-informed family separation responses.

A vetted directory of resources for families, attorneys, and caseworkers navigating the child welfare and immigration systems together. Includes referral tools to find immigration attorneys for children in foster care, state-by-state foster care licensure guides for immigrant caregivers, and pro bono legal service directories.

A national legal advocacy organization that monitors and litigates on behalf of children in the child welfare system, including children of detained or deported parents. Advocates note the actual number of children entering foster care due to immigration enforcement is likely far higher than official data reflects.

A plain-language guide clarifying what protections children in foster care do and do not have. Addresses common misconceptions including whether foster care prevents deportation (it does not), and explains the difference between U.S. citizen children (cannot be deported) and undocumented children in foster care.

Family Preparedness Plan Act (eff. Jan. 1, 2026) — allows joint guardianship nomination; parents retain rights upon release. Use Form GC-211.

Expanded guardianship law (2025) includes immigration enforcement scenarios. Requires notarized paperwork filed with the Secretary of State's office.

2025 Standby Guardianship forms developed by Yale Law School with CT immigration nonprofits. No court required if the other parent agrees.

NYLAG Standby Guardianship Project — free hotline, forms in English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Russian. Call 212-659-6188.

RAICES — free & low-cost legal services statewide; removal defense, guardianship guidance, bond support. Call 1-833-372-4237.

Florida ILJ — free legal services statewide including deportation defense, SIJS, family planning. High-risk state for child welfare + ICE interactions.

Family Separation Rapid Response Team (Executive Order 25-04). State does not share information with ICE. Includes nomination of standby guardian forms.

Nine children reported in foster care due to parental detention (as of Feb. 2026). Families should contact Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center for standby guardianship assistance.

Use CLINIC's 50-state directory for your state's current forms, pro bono attorneys, and consular contact information.

For community members who want to support immigrant children at risk of entering the foster care system, and for families navigating the foster care system due to parental detention.

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) runs a dedicated Family Separation Response team that provides legal representation to children separated from their parents at the U.S. border or due to interior enforcement. Ensures no child appears in immigration court without representation. KEY resource for any AFU member whose child has been separated and lacks legal counsel.

Brief, actionable guide on how individuals can support migrant children, including how to foster an immigrant child, how to donate or volunteer with organizations serving separated families, and what policy changes to advocate for. The Women's Refugee Commission also produces in-depth research on detained and deported parents' rights.

Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service) provides licensed foster care placements in the U.S. for refugee and immigrant children, including unaccompanied minors and children separated from parents. Explains the process for becoming a foster parent to an immigrant child and what to expect.

Plain-language guide clarifying what protections children in foster care do and do not have. Addresses common misconceptions — including whether foster care prevents deportation (it does not for undocumented children), and explains the difference between U.S. citizen children and undocumented children in the foster system.

Created by the National Immigration Law Center in partnership with CLASP (Nov. 2025). Covers: your right to make childcare arrangements at the moment of arrest; ICE's obligation to wait for your designated caregiver; your right to participate in family court proceedings from detention; and how to file a complaint if ICE ignores your parental rights. Includes the free DRIL detention hotline number.

From the Center on Immigration and Child Welfare, this resource helps caregivers and parents have age-appropriate conversations with children about immigration enforcement before a crisis occurs. It is part of a broader library covering child welfare, foster care, guardianship, and immigration law intersections.

Reporting from Documented newsroom in collaboration with the Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health. Explores how to support children living with fear of a parent's deportation, including guidance from child mental health professionals and practical communication strategies for caregivers.