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Caring for Children from Kabul to Houston 

Safia is among the 50,500 Afghan refugees admitted to the United States via the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), a program created by Congress to help Afghans who worked for the U.S. government abroad. A college-educated math teacher who is not yet licensed to teach in the United States, Safia applied for a childcare training and licensing class at ECDC – Houston Multicultural Center. “In order to speed up this self-sufficiency goal, it takes everyone in the household working,” said Earlene Leverett, the program’s former manager. Additionally, “Employers are finally realizing the impact that childcare has on the economy. Businesses have jobs, they need employees to fill those jobs, those employees need childcare.”

Fear and Empty Classrooms: The Human Cost of Immigration Crackdowns

Since the Trump administration began arresting immigrants off the street, Philadelphia childcare provider Damaris Alvarado-Rodriguez has had to close one classroom and lay off five teachers, all U.S. citizens. Parents in her Hispanic community, many with valid immigration status, “went into hiding,” she said. “There were so many policies at once that they didn’t know how they would be affected.” Damaris’ daycare center provides donated food, infant formula, diapers, clothes, and more. She is worried about the absent children. “We know that most of the children are food-deprived,” she said. “I pray that they’re OK.” 

From Babysitter to Business Owner: A Journey of Resilience and Care

Muna is one of many Somalis admitted to the United States with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) since the country collapsed in 1991 into civil war, causing the deaths of as many as 1 million people. She landed in San Diego in 1999, her 6-month-old baby in tow, knowing no one, knocking on doors to ask if anyone needed a babysitter. For the next four years, she lived and worked in 20 different houses as a nanny and housekeeper. Sometimes she slept on the floor. When she was ready to start her own business, in 2018, she turned to childcare. Now her business is thriving. “It’s a lot of kids to run,” she said, laughing. “But it’s worth it.” 

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