FosterClub LEx Leader Joins Panel on Immigration and Child Welfare
At the 2025 National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) Conference, FosterClub Lived Experience (LEx) Leader Franz (he/him) joined on a powerful panel titled “Representing Immigrant Children & Families: Strategies for Preserving Family Unity & Promoting Permanency.”
The session brought together legal and advocacy professionals to explore how immigration status intersects with child welfare, highlighting the urgent need for trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and youth-centered approaches.
What Franz Had to Say
Franz spoke candidly about the emotional realities that immigrant youth face when navigating both the foster care and immigration systems.
"Serving this very vulnerable community requires a lot more than paperwork. There’s a lot of emotional things happening, a lot of trauma to navigate. Do I trust this person? Can I share things with them? Instead of trying to make the impression that we are time-bound, build trust first.”
— Franz, He/Him, experienced foster care in Pennsylvania
He stressed that building trust isn’t optional, it’s foundational. Whether through small gestures like smiling, or by taking the time to understand cultural and language differences, professionals can create safer spaces where young people feel seen and supported.
Franz also highlighted how the process itself feels from the side of immigrant youth. Barriers like language, cultural misunderstandings, and rushed timelines can deepen trauma if trust and understanding aren’t prioritized.
His main takeaways included:
- Recognizing the importance of attorneys allocating recovery and self-care time so they can show up as their best selves.
- Reinforcing the need to prioritize relationships before tasks. Youth feel dismissed when professionals impose strict time limits.
- Engaging Lived Experience to exchange strategies with organizations and professionals for navigating cultural and language barriers.
Why It Matters
Franz’s message resonated strongly with the conference audience. Attendees nodded, took notes, and asked questions to better understand the youth perspective. Franz reflected that the audience was “intentionally and actively listening,” and it was clear that those in the room cared deeply about learning what they could do to support immigrant youth.
Centering lived experience is essential. Young people who navigate foster care while also facing immigration challenges often carry compounded trauma: separation from family across borders, fear of deportation, and legal hurdles that make stability feel out of reach.
By elevating voices like Franz’s, the field gains insights that can’t be learned from textbooks or case law. His presence at NACC reminded professionals that true advocacy for immigrant youth means more than checking boxes. It means slowing down, building trust, and centering the human experience.
FosterClub is proud to support LEx Leaders like Franz in shaping national conversations. Their voices carry the wisdom of experience and the power to guide change.
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