Navigating back to school
Help newcomer families feel confident as they start school in a new community.
For newcomer families, recent policy changes and increased immigration enforcement may create uncertainty or concern about their child's school experience.
You can play a meaningful role in helping families feel supported. This resource is for caring sponsors, neighbors, friends, and Welcomers who want to help in practical ways.
What you should know
Understand and share what families and students should do if they encounter U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
How you can help
Parents may worry about what could happen if immigration officers are encountered at school. You can help newcomers plan ahead and feel supported.
Help students feel supported
Here are some suggestions that you can discuss with newcomer parents to offer support:
- Let families and students know you are available if they need someone to talk to.
- Offer to connect families to culturally competent mental health services or local nonprofits that offer support groups.
- Offer to help introduce students to friendly faces they’ll see at school: the bus driver, front desk manager, guidance counselor, etc. -Offer to donate age-appropriate books featuring the culture of the newcomer family so that other students can better understand and appreciate their new classmates.
To start the conversation: “Starting a new school year can be a mix of exciting and scary for any student. There are a few ways I know of to help students feel supported. Would you like to talk through some of these suggestions?"
Create a reliable network
You can help create a reliable network of support for newcomer families:
- Offer to be listed as an emergency contact on school forms, especially if you live nearby.
- Help fill out school paperwork that designates who can pick up the newcomer student.
- Organize a small group of trusted adults who can be “on call” for school pickups or emergencies.
How to start the conversation: “I know some families are creating support networks for things like school pickups. If that’s something you’re thinking about, I’d be happy to help with forms or be a backup contact.”
Suggest other considerations to stay prepared
Share resources from trusted organizations to help newcomer families feel prepared.
- Help families write down and safely store copies of IDs, immigration documents, medical info, and key contacts in case of an emergency. This also can be helpful as families navigate changes in immigration policies and status.
- Offer this Welcome.US guide that includes trusted sources and thorough checklists for newcomer families to consider.
How to start the conversation: “If it would help you to feel more prepared, I can share some resources to organize important documents, or help you fill out forms.”
Stay informed on issues impacting schools
When you understand the larger context, you can share clear information and offer concrete help. To get the latest information on immigration policies impacting schools, you can:
- Follow local immigrant rights groups and trusted national organizations.
- Attend school board meetings, and ask how the district is preparing to support students.
For policy updates and expert guidance on sponsorship pathways, visit welcome.us/policy-updates.
As a Welcomer, you can offer help to newcomer families while also respecting each family’s comfort level. The goal is to be someone they can count on, if and when they need it.
Welcomers in action
Maryland | Lamia and Ezat
Lamia and Ezat recognized a unique need of displaced Afghan students and families as they resettled in their Maryland community. They worked together to create a solution, and inspired their community to raise money in support of these newcomer families. But this was no run-of-the-mill fundraising drive. Watch their story below.
Colorado | Project Worthmore
We asked and you delivered! Generous Welcomers across the country fueled a virtual back-to-school donation drive with our partner Project Worthmore. From backpacks to art supplies to culturally relevant books, these donations provided supplies and confidence to newcomer families starting school in the Denver area.
