Children on the Move – a detailed guide of best practices to aid those working with migrating children and families throughout the Americas – is now translated into Spanish and available free for distribution to government entities, NGOs, social workers, religious organizations and others working to safeguard migrating children and prevent further trauma due to family separations. Originally developed by the International Social Service (ISS) General Secretariat in collaboration with ISS network members, the Spanish translation and distribution are made possible, in part, through a partnership with Salina, Kansas-based Saint Francis Ministries and a special grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. Both English and Spanish versions of Children on the Move can be found at saintfrancisministries.org.

The 120-page guide recommends step-by-step procedures, from assessing the child’s health and wellness needs, to determining quality care arrangements in the host country, to establishing a sustainable solution in the best interest of the child. The manual specifically outlines the intake questions workers should ask, the clinical assessments that need to be made, and offers guidance in minimizing the long-term trauma caused by lengthy separations.

“According to UNICEF, more than 50 million children worldwide are subject to adverse conditions due to voluntary or involuntary migration by their families,” said Julie G. Rosicky, Executive Director of ISS-USA. “At the U.S. border, while most families separated in April 2018 have been reunited or are working toward reunification, the long-term effects will be felt for generations. Without a doubt, the Children on the Move manual – along with other best practice manuals such as the UN Guidelines on Alternative Care – provide a road map to improve our protection systems for migrant and non-migrant children alike. It’s a field-tested, child-focused, case management approach that can improve the outcomes for children and families separated by migration.

“Saint Francis Ministries is a proud partner in this project with International Social Service-USA (ISS-USA), and the Jessie Ball duPont Fund,” said Angela Smith, Vice President of International Ministries for Saint Francis Ministries. “Making a Spanish translation of this valuable resource available provides broader accessibility to this systematic approach for ensuring services that meet the basic human needs of an unprecedented number of migrants seeking assistance every day; it’s an approach that embraces Saint Francis’ mission of providing hope and healing to children and families.”

About Saint Francis Ministries
Founded in 1945 and rooted in the Episcopal tradition, the Salina, Kansas-based Saint Francis Ministries encompasses foster care, therapeutic foster care, adoption, family preservation, residential care, refugee resettlement, immigrant child and family services, and community outreach services. The organization employs more than 1,200 staff members and serves more than 31,000 children and families in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Illinois, and Central America. Since 2015, Saint Francis Ministries has expanded its services to include comprehensive programs serving children and families in El Salvador and Honduras as well as strengthening the field of child welfare in China through its participation in the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Professional Fellows Program.

About ISS-USA
Founded in 1926 in New York, NY, currently headquartered in Baltimore, MD, ISS-USA is a founding member and an integral part of a network of social work agencies and providers in more than 140 countries around the globe. ISS-USA works with more than 1,000 families each year, separated between the U.S. and more than 90 countries. ISS-USA and its partners find people, locate important documents, visit homes, and assess communities, all information that helps reunite families, develop long term plans and provides valuable information used by social workers, immigration and international family lawyers, domestic lawyers and judges to make decisions about what is best for children.

About ISS/Saint Francis Ministries collaboration:
International Social Service-USA (ISS-USA) and Saint Francis Ministries are providing cross-border social services to separated children and families in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, and working to strengthen social services in Central America.