U.S. Border Crisis Children's Relief Fund

Since 2014, supporters like you have made it possible for Save the Children to provide humanitarian assistance to families seeking asylum in America. We prioritize programming for families traveling with children, with a special focus on the youngest children, pregnant women, new mothers and children with disabilities. Thank you for supporting this work.

HUMANITARIAN AID TO FAMILIES ON THE MOVE

Save the Children works along the U.S. southern border through a network of partner organizations in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. We focus on strengthening the capacity of shelters and communities to protect children and families, addressing their immediate needs, offering resource support, technical guidance, child-friendly spaces and advocacy. Since starting in 2014, we have set up child-friendly spaces for children in shelters run by non-profit agencies, distributed large quantities of care supplies and supported medical services.

From January to September 2024 we provided grants to 20 partners who supported over 134,000 children and over 254,000 adults with immediate humanitarian assistance, in Arizona, California, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Texas and Washington, D.C.

We also equip shelters with supplies for safe play areas for children and nooks for mothers to feed and care for their infants. We provide technical guidance to shelter staff to ensure children are safe and that their emotional well-being is supported.

When families arrive at the border, pregnant mothers and small children are often in urgent need of immediate and specialty health care. To meet these needs, we partner with Migrant Clinicians Network, a non-profit organization that provides healthcare for newly arrived mothers and children. The organization also arranges for medical care in families’ destination communities.

DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE – CASH ON THE MOVE

Save the Children is the only organization at the border that gives families with children prepaid cards to purchase essentials for their onward travel. This year, our Cash on the Move program supported 1,688 adults and 1,822 children by providing $100 cash cards to families in three shelters in California, Arizona, and New Mexico to aid families as they travel to their final U.S. destinations. Eligible families are given the dignity of choice in how to use the cards to best meet the needs of their children on the journey. Together, the three shelters have distributed 1,186 this year.

TRAINING FOR SHELTER STAFF

Save the Children conducts a Child-Focused Training Series to strengthen the capacity of staff, volunteers and partners to provide a protective environment for asylum-seeking children and families in hospitality centers and transit shelters at the border and in destination cities. In 2024, this series consists of six training sessions designed to strengthen participants’ skills in:

· Child Safeguarding

· Psychological first aid for children and families

· Reducing caregivers’ stress and improving their coping skills through the Strong from the Start caregiver module.

· Creating and managing safe child play areas

· Tactics for de-escalating stressful situations

· Communication strategies and resources for supporting children with disabilities.

MOBILIZING HUMANITARIAN COORDINATION

Save the Children facilitates the meetings of the U.S.-Mexico Border Alliance, which convenes and coordinates federal, state and humanitarian partners with an average of 125 stakeholders per call to respond to the needs of asylum-seeking families. This platform links individuals working at various levels – from shelter staff on the ground to representatives of congressional offices and federal agencies – providing a forum where stakeholders can discuss current realities for children and families seeking asylum. This neutral convening serves to amplify the voices of our partners and raise awareness among state and federal government officials.

ADVOCATING FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS

Save the Children advocates for the humane treatment of the children and families crossing the border and their right to seek asylum. We continue to amplify their voices by educating lawmakers about the impact that current policies are having on children so that they can work towards a more child-centered asylum process.

This year, we held dozens of meetings with members of Congress and the administration to highlight the needs of children seeking refuge. We have also worked closely with the Family Reunification Task Force, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, and administrative and federal agencies to ensure that unaccompanied children are promptly reunited with family and receive appropriate protections and services.

Thank you again for your support! Save the Children couldn’t do our important work without supporters like you.

Links:

• Save the Children - U.S. Border Crisis