KIND’s Child Return and Reintegration Program helps children who are returning to their home countries successfully reintegrate into their families and communities. We talked to the director of the program, Amy Schaltegger Escoto, to learn more about this critical work and the psychosocial services KIND provides unaccompanied children who return to their communities in Guatemala and Honduras.
How do the challenges faced by unaccompanied children in Central America compare to those in the United States, and how does KIND’s approach ensure dignity and self-determination in both regions?
The unaccompanied children KIND works with in Central America attempted to migrate to the United States and were returned from there or from Mexico. They left fleeing violence, instability, and poverty and some to try to reunite with family members in the north. A return means that the journey did not turn out the way they hoped. These children often return to the same situation they attempted to flee with added trauma of a perilous journey, challenges of perceived “failure,” and the stigma of having been victims of gender-based violence on their journey, which is often the case for girls. Our approach helps children reconnect and grow roots with their families and communities. Regardless of location, KIND’s psychosocial work fosters resilience and is guided by the same approach: trauma-informed, child- and youth-centered, strengths-based, and culturally sensitive.
What does respecting a child’s right to self-determination look like in practice? Can you share a moment when a child made a decision that shaped their future?
In practice respecting the right to self-determination is challenging. We had a recent client who returned to her home country in Central America right before obtaining legal status in the United States. Her departure ended that process and the option of regular status in the United States is off the table. She is doing well in her country of origin; she used her English language skills to find a job and loved reconnecting with her family who she had lost touch with over the years. Life in Central America is harder than life in the United States by a lot of concrete measures such as income potential and opportunities. On the other hand, the opportunity to live alongside family in a culture that never stopped feeling like home is priceless. It is always our role to provide information so that children make informed choices, but it is never our role to tell them what is best for them. In this case we know that life is harder in a lot of ways, and the client does have moments of questioning her choice, but in the end, she made the decision, and she is making it work.
What role does trust play in your work with children? How do you help them feel safe enough to share their experiences and dreams?
It is a challenge to build trust with children who have experienced trauma and who have experienced the intense difficulty of migration. Building trust takes place on multiple levels. Our partners in the Western Highlands of Guatemala are fluent in multiple Indigenous languages and our Guatemalan clients feel a sense of trust and safety when they can communicate in their native language. When a child is in the return and reintegration program we work with the entire family, and the parents also feel trust when they can speak their own language. Seeing parents trust in our partners goes a long way with the children. This cultural humility allows connection. Children need to not be worrying about basic needs like food and shelter or more advanced needs like being re-enrolled in school before they can really begin to dream. We work to make sure those needs are met early in the process and continue to work with the children for up to a year so there is time to build trust, plan for the future, and receive the support to achieve those dreams.
In addition to protection, what else do children on the move need?
Children on the move need options and resources. They need to be able to flee dangerous situations, and they need a world where migration is not their only choice. Children deserve safe communities with quality education, economic opportunities, and the opportunity to stay.
How does KIND’s domestic work strengthen the work being done in the Central America? What lessons from the United States have informed support for children seeking safety in Central America?
KIND’s U.S. psychosocial work has provided the framework to strengthen and deepen our work in Central America, particularly as we embark upon new work in Honduras—a significant expansion of the program. Starting this month, we will have a social services coordinator in the reception center welcoming returning unaccompanied children and providing them with information and referrals for services. We also have a new capacity building specialist who is adapting existing KIND materials and creating new trainings to strengthen the work done by first line staff who work with migrant children, strengthening their knowledge of and ability to provide child-friendly, trauma-informed services.
The guiding principles developed in the United States—trauma-informed child- and youth-centered, strengths-based, culturally sensitive, and resilience-focused—have provided a stronger lens through which we approach our work in Central America and tailor it to the local needs and context.
What are the biggest systemic differences in how social work is practiced in Central America versus the United States, and how does KIND ensure that dignity and self-determination remain at the center?
In the Central American countries where we work, social work does not have the clinical aspect that is part of training in the United States. The partners we work with tend to have a combination of social workers, psychologists, educators, and in some cases attorneys to provide psychosocial support to children. Education and training are important, but more important is being child-centered and ensuring each client’s right to dignity and self-determination. As with KIND in the United States, a multidisciplinary approach strengthens our ability to meet each child’s needs and to ensure their voice is at the forefront. If a child is having their basic needs met while working toward educational goals and receiving tools and support needed to heal from trauma, they are more empowered and more able to make their own choices.
To learn more about our Return and Reintegration Program click here.
