Immigrant Kids In ‘Tender Age’ Shelters Face Myriad Risks

Separating immigrant children from their parents will very likely lead to negative effects on emotional and mental health, research shows. Young children placed in “tender age” shelters are the most vulnerable, experts say. “Recent changes in the U.S. immigration system have resulted in a large number of children removed from their parents, drawing increased scrutiny to this abhorrent practice,” says Kathryn Humphreys, a psychology professor at Vanderbilt University and author of a paper in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.