Immigrant children and their families: issues for research and policy. Board on Children and Families. 1995


Discussions about immigration, focused on such policy issues as labor force participation and use of welfare programs, frequently fail to include considerations of children's well-being. Even those debates which center on programs that benefit children--such as schools, public assistance, and social welfare programs--are often based on issues related to short-term costs and societal impacts, neglecting considerations of the well-being and future contributions of immigrant children. Hence, immigrant children have been rendered largely invisible in policy spheres. Yet first- and second-generation immigrant children are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population under age 15. In this context, the Board on Children and Families of the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine convened a workshop on immigrant children and families to review what is known about this population and to identify issues that warrant further examination. This article is based on the discussions at the workshop. Several themes emerged from the workshop, including the value of looking at immigrant children in the context of their families; the importance of understanding public concerns over the costs of immigrants, coupled with the difficulty of pinpointing just what those costs are; and the need for policymakers to address such policy issues as education and health care. The article concludes by identifying a number of areas in which research is warranted as immigrant children and families grow to become a core part of American communities, schools, and society.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008605 Mental Health Services Organized services to provide mental health care. Mental Hygiene Services,Health Services, Mental,Services, Mental Health,Services, Mental Hygiene,Health Service, Mental,Hygiene Service, Mental,Hygiene Services, Mental,Mental Health Service,Mental Hygiene Service,Service, Mental Health,Service, Mental Hygiene
D011640 Public Policy A course or method of action selected, usually by a government, from among alternatives to guide and determine present and future decisions. Social Policy,Affirmative Action,Migration Policy,Population Policy,Social Protection,Action, Affirmative,Migration Policies,Policies, Migration,Policies, Population,Policies, Public,Policies, Social,Policy, Migration,Policy, Population,Policy, Public,Policy, Social,Population Policies,Protection, Social,Public Policies,Social Policies
D012106 Research Critical and exhaustive investigation or experimentation, having for its aim the discovery of new facts and their correct interpretation, the revision of accepted conclusions, theories, or laws in the light of newly discovered facts, or the practical application of such new or revised conclusions, theories, or laws. (Webster, 3d ed) Research Priorities,Laboratory Research,Research Activities,Research and Development,Activities, Research,Activity, Research,Development and Research,Priorities, Research,Priority, Research,Research Activity,Research Priority,Research, Laboratory
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002651 Child Advocacy Promotion and protection of the rights of children; frequently through a legal process. Advocacies, Child,Advocacy, Child,Child Advocacies
D002669 Child Welfare Organized efforts by communities or organizations to improve the health and well-being of the child. Adolescent Welfare,Welfare, Adolescent,Welfare, Child
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004641 Emigration and Immigration The process of leaving one's country to establish residence in a foreign country. Immigration,Labor Migration,Border Crossing,Chain Migration,Emigration,In-Migration,International Migration,Out-Migration,Return Migration,Settlement and Resettlement,Temporary Migration,Turnaround Migration,Border Crossings,Chain Migrations,Crossing, Border,Crossings, Border,Emigrations,Immigration and Emigration,Immigrations,In Migration,In-Migrations,International Migrations,Labor Migrations,Migration, Chain,Migration, International,Migration, Labor,Migration, Return,Migration, Temporary,Migration, Turnaround,Migrations, Chain,Migrations, International,Migrations, Labor,Migrations, Return,Migrations, Temporary,Migrations, Turnaround,Out Migration,Out-Migrations,Resettlement and Settlement,Return Migrations,Temporary Migrations,Turnaround Migrations

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