When three siblings fled violence, safety alone wasn’t enough. Having safe adults who could advocate for them throughout each challenge helped ease their fear and move them toward stability and protection.
Trigger Warning: This story references children’s exposure to domestic violence, physical abuse and immigration‑related stress.
When children are forced to flee their homes to escape violence, reaching safety is only the first step.
For many children who arrive in the United States seeking protection, uncertainty follows closely behind. Navigating a complex and intimidating immigration system without legal support can leave young people frightened, vulnerable and unsure of what comes next.
We walk alongside children and families during these uncertain moments, ensuring they are safe, supported and advocated for every step of the way. That work is only possible through shared commitment: between caregivers, caseworkers, legal partners, community organizations and donors who choose to stand with children and their families when they need it most.
This story shows what happens when that collective care comes together.
Three Siblings Navigating Uncertainty
In 2025, CWS began supporting a sibling group of three children—ages 11, 13 and 15—who had experienced repeated instances of domestic violence and physical abuse. Seeking safety, the children fled to the United States with their mother.
While they were no longer in immediate danger, the threat of being returned to it lurked. The family needed legal representation to advocate for their right to safety, and their immigration hearing itself was scheduled in another state, which made their situation even more complex.
For children who have already experienced trauma, having to navigate a legal system that requires them to recount painful experiences, especially without legal representation, can be overwhelming and retraumatizing. In this case, the children’s primary fear was not rooted in immediate abuse, but in the uncertainty of the immigration process itself. Without an attorney, they faced the possibility of appearing in court alone and the very real risk of being separated from their mother. Their mom shared that these fears weighed heavily on the household, as the children worried about questions no child should have to carry: Who would help tell their story? How would they get to the hearing? What would happen to their family if things went wrong?
Child‑Centered Advocacy in Action
Protecting children means ensuring that systems designed to help them do not become another source of harm. Grounded in child‑protection principles, the CWS caseworker developed a steady, coordinated advocacy plan with the children and their mother rooted in partnership and trauma‑responsive care.
Over several months, this work included repeated outreach to pro bono and low‑cost legal providers, assistance with change‑of‑address and venue requests, direct communication with an out‑of‑state immigration court and consistent emotional support for the children and their mother.
During a period of uncertainty, coordinated casework helped pave a clearer path forward, ensuring the children’s needs remained at the center of every step.
From Legal Uncertainty to Relief
Through sustained follow‑up and coordination with legal providers, the caseworker successfully helped connect the family with qualified legal counsel. With representation secured, the children’s attorney transferred the case to the family’s local immigration court and obtained a postponement of the scheduled hearing.
That moment marked a turning point—from fear to relief.
Today, these three siblings and their mother are no longer navigating this process alone. With legal representation in place and continued support, they are better positioned for a more hopeful future.
Preventing child abuse means ensuring that children and families have safe, permanent and accessible paths away from danger, including the ability to stay together and be supported through legal systems designed to protect them. By advocating for family unity and access to legal representation, and by walking alongside children and their caregivers in moments of crisis, we help build a future where safety, stability and dignity are within reach.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month—and every month—we affirm our commitment to protecting children from harm and ensuring they are supported and safe. Learn more about our Children’s Services work here and consider making a donation to support children and families seeking safety.