NAEYC raises urgent concern about the harm young children are experiencing due to immigration enforcement actions across the United States. Children are being detained, witnessing raids in their schools, childcare programs, and homes, and suffering sudden separation from their parents — experiences that create toxic stress known to damage brain development, learning, and long‑term health. Even children not directly involved are affected by living in constant fear. NAEYC emphasizes that these events are happening to real children in their programs and communities and that such experiences violate what child development science identifies as essential for healthy growth.
In response, NAEYC calls on federal, state, and local officials to safeguard children by prohibiting immigration enforcement in or near schools and childcare settings, ending the detention of young children, and ensuring no child is left without a caregiver. They urge the provision of trauma‑informed support for affected children, families, and educators. NAEYC expresses solidarity with early childhood educators working under these stressful conditions and reaffirms its commitment to advocating for policies that protect children’s safety, stability, and wellbeing — values they assert are fundamental, nonpartisan, and central to their century‑long mission.
