Unaccompanied children’s education in the United States: Service provider’s perspective on challenges and support strategies

Abstract

Newcomer students seek routine and safety in schools, but often experience a “hard landing” when they begin school in the United States. Objective: While there is substantial literature on the academic and language achievement of emergent bilingual students, there is less specifically on unaccompanied immigrant students, and even less on their social and emotional well-being. Methodology: This study uses a human rights framework to analyze qualitative data from service providers (n = 79) for unaccompanied children. Results: Challenges to meeting the needs of this population include the limited capacity of schools and school districts, students’ language ability and preparedness for school, cultural differences, and individual health and mental health considerations. Supports to help immigrant students include academic and language assistance, cooperation among service providers, and emotional and behavioral programs. Conclusions: Recommendations include building community partnerships, creating more welcoming policies, school-assessments of programming compared to needs of newcomer students, and more research.