When an unaccompanied minor is placed in a foster home, the goal is always to make it a short-term solution to support a child until unification can happen. We have detailed accounts of the procedures involved in the transition to unification but, it is hard to imagine what the experience is of an unaccompanied child until you hear it in their own words.

This letter, from a 16-year old Central American migrant boy, summed up his feelings as he moved out of short-term foster care in New York City, to be reunited with his mother in the United States.

Prior to Unification: Arriving in the U.S.

At the beginning you feel sad, worried and scared, without knowing what you’re going to do or what is going to happen. First you feel imprisoned with nothing to do, you keep thinking when is this going to pass? How long will it last? You feel very strange hearing people speak English and some people looking at you as if you were nothing.

You feel alone and you don’t know what is going to happen next. All you think about is what if they deport me? What if they deport my Mom or me? That sadness stays for a short time, then you watch how everything changes: the way people look at you, you keep on feeling better because there are people who help you forget all the pain.

Experience with Foster Parents

“They treat you as if you were their own child and that feels excellent. Your self esteem starts changing, and from there you feel better because there are very good people helping you feel better. They give you the courage to keep moving forward and they assure you they will help you resolve your case and I thank them so much, these people who have always been with me: thank you for treating us as if we were your own children.”

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Al principio uno se siente triste, preocupado, asustado sin saber que vas a hacer o que va a pasar. Primero te sientes como acorralado sin nada que hacer, pasas pensando cuando va a pasar esto, cuánto durará. Uno se siente bien raro al ver la gente hablar inglés y alguna gente te mira como si no fueras nada.

Tu se sientes solo sin saber que ocurrira despues. Solo piensas si te deportan, si deportan a tu mama o a ti. Esa tristeza queda por poco tiempo, ya después tu miras que todo cambia, la forma como te mira la gente, ya te vas mejorando, por que hay personas que te ayudan a olvidar todo el dolor.

Te tratan como si fueras su propio hijo y eso se siente excelente. Ya va cambiando tu autoestima, ya de ahi te sientes mejor por que hay personas muy buenas ayudándote a sentirte mejor, te dan ánimo para seguir adelante y que estés seguro que te ayudarán a resolver tu caso, y yo les agradezco mucho a esas personas que siempre han estado conmigo: gracias por que nos han tratado como sus propios hijos.