image: Thumbnail image of SRCD evidence brief: "The Science is Clear: Separating Families has Long-term Damaging Psychological and Health Consequences for Children, Families, and Communities." view more
Credit: Society for Research in Child Development
"While U.S. Immigration has halted the practice of separating families at the border, it remains unclear if or when reunification will occur for families separated prior to the implementation of the new policy," said Linda Halgunseth, a co-author of the brief, Chair of the Latino Caucus, and Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut. "Detaining families indefinitely also is detrimental for children's long-term adjustment."
According to the brief, The Science is Clear: Separating Families has Long-term Damaging Psychological and Health Consequences for Children, Families, and Communities, parent-child separations lead to a host of long-term psychological, social, and health problems that are not necessarily resolved upon reunification. Policymakers must now turn to the reunification of these families and the ongoing well-being of the children who have been separated from their caregivers.
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