Traumatic Separation and Refugee and Immigrant Children: Tips for Current Caregivers

NCTSN Resource

Provides tips for current caregivers and providers to help address the needs of immigrant and refugee children who have experienced traumatic separation. This tipsheet discusses the impact of sudden, chaotic, or unpredictable separation from parents and siblings including depression, anxiety, or separation-related traumatic stress symptoms. it also outlines what children of different ages might be experiencing and how caregivers and others can help.

Download PDF (English)

Published in 2018


Provides tips for current caregivers and others to help address the needs of immigrant and refugee children who have experienced traumatic separation. The relationship with a parent is critical to a child’s sense of self, safety, and trust. Separations from parents and siblings— especially under sudden, chaotic, or unpredictable circumstances such as those related to war, refugee, immigration, or detention experiences—may lead children to develop depression, anxiety, or separation-related traumatic stress symptoms. This tip sheet outlines what children of different ages might be experiencing and how caregivers and others can help. This is the Spanish version of Traumatic Separation and Refugee and Immigrant Children: Tips for Current Caregivers.

Download PDF (Spanish)

Published in 2018


Provides tips for current caregivers and others to help address the needs of immigrant and refugee children who have experienced traumatic separation. The relationship with a parent is critical to a child’s sense of self, safety, and trust. Separations from parents and siblings— especially under sudden, chaotic, or unpredictable circumstances such as those related to war, refugee, immigration, or detention experiences—may lead children to develop depression, anxiety, or separation-related traumatic stress symptoms. This tip sheet outlines what children of different ages might be experiencing and how caregivers and others can help.

Download PDF (Dari)

Published in 2021


Provides tips for current caregivers and others to help address the needs of immigrant and refugee children who have experienced traumatic separation. The relationship with a parent is critical to a child’s sense of self, safety, and trust. Separations from parents and siblings— especially under sudden, chaotic, or unpredictable circumstances such as those related to war, refugee, immigration, or detention experiences—may lead children to develop depression, anxiety, or separation-related traumatic stress symptoms. This tip sheet outlines what children of different ages might be experiencing and how caregivers and others can help.

Download PDF (Pashto)

Published in 2021


Provides tips for current caregivers and others to help address the needs of immigrant and refugee children who have experienced traumatic separation. The relationship with a parent is critical to a child’s sense of self, safety, and trust. Separations from parents and siblings— especially under sudden, chaotic, or unpredictable circumstances such as those related to war, refugee, immigration, or detention experiences—may lead children to develop depression, anxiety, or separation-related traumatic stress symptoms. This tip sheet outlines what children of different ages might be experiencing and how caregivers and others can help. Translated 2022.

Download PDF (Russian)

Published in 2022


Provides tips for current caregivers and others to help address the needs of immigrant and refugee children who have experienced traumatic separation. The relationship with a parent is critical to a child’s sense of self, safety, and trust. Separations from parents and siblings— especially under sudden, chaotic, or unpredictable circumstances such as those related to war, refugee, immigration, or detention experiences—may lead children to develop depression, anxiety, or separation-related traumatic stress symptoms. This tip sheet outlines what children of different ages might be experiencing and how caregivers and others can help. Translated 2022.

Download PDF (Ukrainian)

Published in 2022