Child Life Disaster Relief is working steadily to find effective ways to support children impacted by the border crisis. Currently, there are two opportunities we want to share:
Brownsville, TX at Casa Padre
July 12-13th
Spanish-speaking Certified Child Life Specialist are needed to help support children being held and interviewed (for reunification purposes) at Casa Padre in Brownsville, Texas. You must be available and willing to travel to Texas, July 12-13th. This opportunity is self-funded volunteer work, however, there is currently a large active fundraiser attempting to cover some of the volunteer travel expenses (https://www.gofundme.com/find-amp-document-separated-children).
The team is being led by Peter Schey from the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law and has been granted access (for two days) to the approximately 1,000 children being held at Casa Padre for interview and reunification purposes under the the Flores settlement. In addition, to pediatric medical and therapeutic professionals, there is also great need for Spanish-speaking therapists, pediatricians, lawyers, and potentially interpreters.
If you or someone else qualified and in need are available to volunteer, please follow this link to be screened for this opportunity:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWmVUdmWA-v94vEjUlKzh6hyRoEEEhxKWpbgYab3jS20Fyww/viewform
Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights
Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Harlingen, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, or Washington, D.C.
Volunteer to support an unaccompanied immigrant child by serving as a Child Advocate. A Child Advocate is an adult who volunteers to spend time with and advocate on behalf of an individual unaccompanied immigrant child while he or she is subject to deportation proceedings.
Commitment includes:
- Visit with the child each week.
- Help the child think through options and decisions.
- Accompany the child to court hearings and other important meetings and interviews.
- Conduct research on the child’s situation in his or her home country.
- Develop best interest recommendations with Young Center staff.
- Maintain communication with the Young Center staff.
- Advocate for the best interest of the child alongside Young Center staff.
For more information and to sign up, please visit:
https://www.theyoungcenter.org/volunteer-at-the-young-center/
Finally, if you are able to help through either of these opportunities, please let us know by e-mailing [email protected] and to receive additional resources and support for these difficult tasks.