November 2, 2021
We fully support Senator Dick Durbin’s call for an investigation of Afghan youth shelter operations, and we are grateful for Senator Duckworth in joining us in calls for additional guidance and resources from the federal government to ensure robust and culturally competent mental health care and supports for the Afghan youth.
Our country’s infrastructure to care for people seeking safety here is severely under-resourced following the intentional actions by the previous federal administration. The country must strengthen this infrastructure to meet the cultural, language and mental health needs of children who have experienced heartbreaking traumas, including the Afghan youth who have suddenly arrived here in the last two months.
Today, Heartland Alliance is providing 24/7 safe and welcoming residential care that includes food, clothing, shelter, schooling, recreation and basic medical care to 80 unaccompanied Afghan youth across four shelters until we are able to safely unite them with family or a sponsor here in the U.S. Outside of Spanish speaking children, this is the largest sudden influx of same language youth we’ve had in our care at one time; we have previously cared for only a handful of Afghan children throughout our 26 years providing unaccompanied minor asylum support. While we worked to provide stronger Dari and Pashto language capacity, we ensured that staff had access to our live language line translation service, mobile phone-enabled interpreting services, and pocket translators.
At the same time, we have worked tirelessly to secure ORR funding and vet translation services to provide on-site interpreters for the first time given the rapid and large arrival of Afghan youth. Thirty-six interpreters will join our shelters by the end of this week. We are grateful for the many local volunteers who have been working with us in the interim.
Given how rapidly the situation deteriorated in Afghanistan, many youth unexpectedly became disconnected or lost from their families. Unlike other unaccompanied children who have likely planned for their journey to the U.S., Afghan youth were abruptly evacuated without knowing what lies ahead or the status of their families who may be in camps, military bases, or still in Afghanistan under severe Taliban surveillance. These Afghan youth have survived unimaginable violence in their home country, resulting in trauma and fear showing up in many ways and sometimes, it manifests as a threat of self-harm. Local emergency medical teams have been critical supports, but the needs of a small number of children in our care have been acute. That has nothing to do with our staff and programs and everything to do with what these children have been through and the horrors they have faced.
It is important to note that our City and State has grossly inadequate capacity to provide mental health services for youth. We have been working closely with City and State partners to remove significant systemic barriers to streamline access to psychiatric care for the youth in our care who are experiencing sad, profound urgent mental health needs. This includes coordinating and clarifying insurance requirements and working with emergency medical services to, when possible, transfer children in need of psychiatric care to a hospital partner with acute youth mental health services rather than the closest emergency room. We have also enlisted a provider to begin individual and group therapy for some of the youth.
The evacuation out of Afghanistan was swift and chaotic. We witness and are working to comfort Afghan youth in their fear and grief during this difficult time of transition. We see this especially among children in our care whose parents were faced with the unthinkable choice to make a split-second decision to send their child alone to a foreign land without any explanation or preparation.
Since the latest Afghan humanitarian crisis began in August, we have provided Afghan evacuees with safety and stability as they enter the U.S. through resettlement services including housing, public benefits, employment support, and education. We know that reaching the U.S. is only the beginning of the next chapter for newly arriving Afghans, and that the trauma experienced prior to their arrival is deep and painful.
In Heartland Alliance’s 134-year history, we have warmly welcomed thousands of families and unaccompanied children who have been forced to flee their home country due to civil unrest, war, violence, and other life-threatening circumstances. The work is emotional and draining – it is heartbreaking for these kids and very difficult for our staff. And yet, Heartland Alliance remains committed to being the bridge to safety and opportunity in the U.S. Every day, our staff demonstrate their commitment to ensuring that the children remain safe and engaged and continue progressing towards their goal of stability and safety.
