Immigrant children are children.
Stand with us to ensure that all children are safe, supported, and free.
We Serve, We Advocate, We Stand
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is the only organization that pairs volunteers with interdisciplinary staff, attorneys and social workers, to accompany and advocate for unaccompanied and separated immigrant children in government custody.
What We Do
We advocate for children’s wishes and best interests
We fight for children’s right to be with family
We keep children safe in and ultimately free from government custody
We ensure kids can access fair proceedings and permanency
We amplify and uplift children’s voices
We support safe communities
Our Impact
Our work is possible thanks to the compassionate and generous support of Volunteer Child Advocates around the country who donate thousands of hours to accompany children as they face immigration proceedings. We are immensely grateful to every volunteer.
volunteers trained in 2024
5,500
hours donated
1,975
children served
1,388
new cases in 2024
Join our Community of Dedicated Volunteer Child Advocates
Immigrant children who travel to the United States without their parents or are separated from their parents at the border often face a complex immigration system that is adverse to their best interests. Once they are released from federal custody, many of these children remain caught in additional legal proceedings where decision makers ignore their needs, their safety and their well-being.
Volunteer Child Advocates are there to learn a child’s story, and to help advocate for their rights and best interests. Alongside Young Center staff, advocates show companionship, compassion and dependability during a challenging and traumatic time in a child’s life.
Find a Training Near You
Make a difference in the life of an unaccompanied immigrant child by serving as a Volunteer Child Advocate in Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Harlingen, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C, New Jersey, or Grand Rapids.
Our Publications
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Fall 2025 Report
From significant delays in children’s reunification with their families, to increased ICE raids and arrests leading to more family separations, […]