Each year, thousands of children arrive at the United States border without a parent or legal guardian, fleeing violence, persecution, poverty, or unsafe living conditions in their home countries. Once in government custody, these children enter one of the most complex legal systems in the world, often without anyone there solely to look out for them.
That is the gap the Young Center’s Child Advocate Program was created to fill. It is the only program of its kind in the United States, pairing trained volunteers and interdisciplinary staff to advocate for the best interests of unaccompanied immigrant children in federal custody.
What Is an Unaccompanied Immigrant Minor?
An unaccompanied immigrant minor is a child who arrives in the United States without a parent or legal guardian, or who becomes separated from their parent or caregiver at the border. These children are taken into federal custody under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) while their immigration cases are processed.
Many of these children have experienced what researchers call “triple trauma”: the trauma they fled in their home country, the trauma of the migration journey itself, and the trauma of detention and separation during the resettlement process. They are among the most vulnerable people in the immigration system, and yet they are often expected to navigate that system largely on their own.
The Role of the Child Advocate Program
Authorized under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2008, the Young Center’s Child Advocate Program provides independent advocates to unaccompanied and separated immigrant children in federal custody. Child Advocates are appointed to the most vulnerable children, including those forcibly separated from their parents, children with mental or physical disabilities, children who are victims of trafficking, and children who have experienced violence.
A Child Advocate’s role is distinct from that of an attorney. They do not provide legal representation. Instead, their focus is singular: to understand what is truly in the best interests of that child, and to make sure that perspective is heard by every decision-maker involved in the child’s case.
The “best interests of the child” is a legal standard that requires decision-makers to center a child’s safety, well-being, and long-term needs above all other considerations, including procedural convenience or system efficiency.
How the Program Works
The Young Center pairs each child with a Volunteer Child Advocate and a team of staff that includes attorneys and social workers. Together, they work to understand the full picture of a child’s life: their family relationships, their experiences, their fears, their hopes, and what they need to be safe.
Volunteer Child Advocates meet individually with children each week and accompany them to hearings and appointments at immigration court or the asylum office, so that no child faces those moments alone. They speak with family members, caregivers, teachers, attorneys, healthcare providers, and others involved in a child’s life.
From that understanding, the Young Center submits written best interests determinations (BIDs) to immigration judges, asylum officers, ORR officials, and attorneys. These recommendations may address whether a child should be released to a sponsor, transferred to a different placement, provided legal representation, or safely returned to their home country with proper support in place.
Who the Program Serves
The Child Advocate Program serves children across the country. The Young Center has offices in Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Harlingen, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Grand Rapids, with volunteers operating in each city.
The program prioritizes children who are especially vulnerable, including:
• Children who are very young
• Children living with medical conditions or disabilities
• Children from marginalized communities, including Indigenous, Black, and LGBTQ+ youth
• Children who are pregnant or parenting
• Children who have experienced trafficking, abuse, or violence
• Children who were separated from their parents at the border
Why Independence Matters
One of the most important features of the Child Advocate Program is its independence. Young Center Child Advocates do not provide legal representation, residential services, or post-release social services. They hold no other role in the immigration system.
This independence is not a limitation. It is a design choice. It means that a Child Advocate’s only obligation is to the child. Their recommendations are not shaped by the interests of any agency, government official, or legal outcome. They exist solely to ensure that the child’s voice and best interests are part of every decision that affects their life.
The Difference a Child Advocate Makes
For a child who has crossed borders, survived trauma, and entered a legal system they do not understand, the presence of a trusted adult can change everything. It does not resolve the complexity of immigration law. It does not make the system less intimidating. But it means the child is not alone.
It means someone is asking, and fighting for the answer to, one essential question: What is best for this child?
Support the Child Advocate Program
The Young Center’s Child Advocate Program depends on a community of dedicated volunteers and supporters. If you want to stand with unaccompanied immigrant children, there are two powerful ways to get involved: become a Volunteer Child Advocate in one of our ten cities, or make a donation to support this work. Every step forward starts with someone willing to show up for a child.
