The National Association for Family Child Care is deeply concerned by a pattern of immigration enforcement actions taking place across Minnesota and the country that are harmful to children and destabilizing for families and communities. We are hearing directly from family child care educators across the state about the impact of these actions, including reports of child care settings being targeted and educators feeling fearful and overwhelmed as they work to continue providing safe, stable care for children and families.
Family child care educators provide care in home settings where children depend on safety, predictability, and trust. When enforcement actions involve young children or abruptly disrupt families, the impact is immediate and far-reaching. Children carry fear, confusion, and distress into child care settings, and educators are left to support them through trauma while maintaining stability for all families in their care.
The use of a young child in an enforcement action is especially troubling. Children should not be placed in situations that place their physical or emotional safety at risk by exposing them to harm, fear, or intimidation. Actions that destabilize families also destabilize the care systems that families rely on to work, meet basic needs, and remain connected to their communities.
We recognize that family child care educators in Minnesota are navigating the effects of these events in real time, and while these events are unfolding in Minnesota, the ripple effects are national. Family child care educators across the country are already contending with increased financial pressure, heightened family stress, complex legal environments, increased responsibility for children’s emotional well-being, and holding the care infrastructure together under strain. These moments reveal how vulnerable children, families, and educators are to policies and practices outside of their control.
NAFCC stands in solidarity with these educators and the families they serve, recognizing the responsibility this moment places on them and affirming that they are not facing it alone.
Unequivocally, children deserve our protection. Federal leaders must take responsibility for ensuring that enforcement actions do not place children at risk or undermine family stability. NAFCC remains committed to advocating for policies and practices, grounded in our FCC Policy Priorities, that protect children, respect families, and strengthen the care environments that communities depend on.
Take Action
If you are looking for opportunities to take action, please join us in any of the following:
- Raise Your Voice: Urge members of Congress to separate critical funding for programs that support children and families from political agendas, so that children’s safety and well-being are never treated as bargaining chips and educate policymakers on the impact of harmful immigration enforcement practices on young children, their families, and their care systems.
- Share Resources: Supporting impacted families and educators by sharing resources from trusted organizations, like the ones listed below.
- Share Your Story: Sharing your story, if you are willing and able to do so safely, is a powerful way to make change.
- Connect: Build community with NAFCC members and leaders, including NAFCC State Representatives.
Resources
MENTAL HEALTH & TRAUMA SUPPORT
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) — Guidance for educators and caregivers responding to trauma
- Zero to Three — Early childhood trauma + family stress resources (excellent for FCC settings)
- Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) — Protective factors framework + policy resources
- Sesame Workshop / Sesame Street in Communities — Trauma, grief, family stress materials for young children (practical and accessible)
EARLY CHILDHOOD & FAMILY STABILITY POLICY CONTEXT
- CLASP (Center for Law and Social Policy) — Child care, family stability, immigrant family research
- Migration Policy Institute (MPI) — Nonpartisan immigration research + child/family data
- Urban Institute — Reliable research on family supports, safety net, and immigrant families
- National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) — Child care + family policy research
LEGAL RIGHTS & IMMIGRATION SUPPORT
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) — Know-your-rights materials, child/family guidance, multilingual resources
- National Immigration Law Center (NILC) — Policy info + resources on immigrants’ rights
- Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) — Child-centered legal support + family resources
- American Bar Association (ABA) Immigration Justice Project — Legal help directories
- United We Dream — “Know Your Rights” + family planning tools
- Families Belong Together — Resources for families affected by enforcement
Erica Phillips
Executive Director
National Association for Family Child Care
Dr. Ellaine Miller
Board President
National Association for Family Child Care
