Children’s relationships with parents and primary caregivers support their development. The Children’s Equity Project report explains that family separation can disrupt these important relationships and affect children’s development.
The report highlights young children in particular. Their brain development and social-emotional foundations form in the context of caregiving relationships and depend on those relationships.
The role of caregiving relationships
According to the report, relationships with parents and primary caregivers support children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral development. When children are separated from these caregivers, the relationships that help support development may be disrupted.
The report also describes attachment relationships as a source of children’s sense of safety, trust, and security. Separation may weaken that sense of security and contribute to attachment anxiety.
Why separation may matter for young children
The report notes that this issue is particularly salient for young children because their brain development and social-emotional foundations form in the context of important caregiving relationships.
The report reviews research on how separation may affect healthy development, including children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral development. It also discusses the potential effects of stress during early childhood on developing brain systems.
Longer separations may be associated with lasting effects
The report says that longer separations may be associated with more lasting harm. It also notes that separation can contribute to long-term difficulties in parent-child relationships.
These findings underscore the report’s conclusion that family separation can have wide-ranging consequences for children. The effects can involve developmental and relational impacts as well as mental health, education, and economic conditions.
Read the report
The CEP report on family separation and deportation reviews research on how separation affects children’s development and relationships with caregivers.
Related Articles:
How Family Separation and Deportation Affect Children’s Mental Health How Family Separation Can Affect Children’s Development and Attachment How Deportation and Family Separation Can Disrupt Children’s Education
News Mentions:
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Frequently Asked Questions
The report says separation can disrupt relationships that support children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral development.
It explains that young children’s brain development and social-emotional foundations form in the context of caregiving relationships and depend on these relationships.
The report says separation may weaken children’s sense of safety, trust, and security and may contribute to attachment anxiety.
Yes. It says longer separations may be associated with more lasting harm.
The report says separation may contribute to long-term difficulties in parent-child relationships.