"Grassroots organizations believe that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution."
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Stories of Power, Agency, Resilience, and Kinship: Authors from academia, advocacy, organizing, and beyond share what it means to meet this moment with courage, clarity, creativity, and conviction as they work to protect and support children in immigrant families.


** We’re Child Care Organizers. But We Couldn’t Ignore Immigrant Rights.
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By: Mary Ignatius, Parent Voices California

Afraid to go to work, many immigrants now need money for rent and food. As a parent organizer, Marina is responding by getting desperately needed resources to families. She is bewildered by the level of attacks on immigrants: “We pay taxes, we’re supporting this country. Why are they doing this to us?”

Seeing her community paralyzed with shock as ICE agents drag away family members without due process and regard for their rights, Liliana draws on her personal experience and now acts as an interpreter for other families, explaining the paperwork they need and what the lawyers are saying.

These women and their peers are members of Parent Voices California (PVC), a grassroots organizing and leadership-development nonprofit working to ensure more just, fair, and inclusive systems for families and children.

Immigrant defense isn’t what we are funded to do. Formally, Parent Voices California organizes families and caregivers around childcare issues: increased funding, improved quality, and better access for all families. But immigrant defense is the need right now.

Grassroots organizations believe that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. We give parents tools—political and personal—to create the changes they want to see. So, when our members said what they needed in this moment, we could not ignore it.

In response, we are offering know-your-rights trainings to empower parents with critical information—what ICE agents legally can do and not do, and how to recognize a valid warrant. Our advocacy led two counties to invest $2 million in defense funds, directing resources to families and helping them create emergency plans, such as who should care for the children if their parents are detained.

Legal consultations are helping families with tangible next steps: asylum processes, green card applications, DACA renewals, and citizenship applications. Thanks to our partnership with the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, Parent Voices Marin has been able to offer more than 120 free immigration consultations to our members and their families.

We are the only organization in Marin County offering this kind of direct support. But the last scheduled consultation will take place in November unless we can find more funding.

These efforts are making a tangible difference in children’s lives: when parents are informed and prepared, they can speak with their children calmly and confidently, grounding them in the midst of the fear and uncertainty they absorb from adults.
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** Stories of Power, Agency, Resilience, and Kinship (SPARK)
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By: Vivian Tseng and Hirokazu Yoshikawa
[link removed] the Foundation for Child Development, our Board and Staff have been reflecting on our ancestors—immigrants, refugees, and enslaved people—whose resilience and resistance light our path as we work to ensure that all children, in every community, have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Just as the generations before us struggled and sacrificed to create a more just society, so too will our actions shape the opportunities and challenges that future generations inherit. This intergenerational perspective feels profoundly urgent in our current moment.
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** Staying Whole: A Love Letter to Immigrant Parents
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Recent attacks from the federal government have left a long-lasting impact on immigrant families and communities. During this difficult time, we acknowledge the mental toll immigrant parents are facing. In partnership with the National Parents Union ([link removed]) and Little Justice Leaders ([link removed]) , CTAN and fiercely passionate advocates have published “A Love Letter and Support Guide for Families Navigating Harmful Immigration Raids and Policies.” This guide was created for immigrant parents, and shaped by the insights and experiences of families impacted by immigration enforcement throughout the country. The guide highlights their experiences and offers advice, providing parents with mental health resources for themselves and their children. This love letter to immigrant parents invites parents to reflect on their own mental health, guides them through safety planning, and offers tips on how to talk to and support their children.

This resource is available in both English and Spanish, and will be translated into other languages in the coming months.
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** Now is When Nonprofits Need Philanthropy the Most: Five Ways Funders Can Step Up
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Nonprofit organizations are under intense legal, financial, and safety pressures that jeopardize their ability to serve communities. Philanthropy must match the urgency of the moment and the bravery of nonprofit partners who are on the streets, inside detention centers, and struggling to serve communities. Vivian Tseng of the Foundation for Child Development, with co-authors Philip Li of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Monica Munn of World Education Services, Rickke Mananzala of New York Foundation, Mike Pratt of Scherman Foundation, and Julia Bator of J.M. Kaplan Fund, bring together their expertise to offer practical options for funders who want to shift from intent to impact.
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