New Populations in Rural Counties: Implications for Child Welfare

Project Description

Authors: Esther Wattenberg & Ann Beuch
Date Published: June 17, 2008

This project unfolded at a time when the national debate on immigration had sharpened, revealing a deeply divided nation, with the health and well-being of children of immigrants rarely on the agenda at any level of government. For Minnesota, the settlement of immigrant families drawn to rural areas by employment opportunities in meat packing and poultry processing companies posed unexpected challenges for the county social service system and school districts.

For child welfare, the circumstances of immigration became increasingly relevant. The necessity to determine eligibility for services added yet another requirement for an overburdened and understaffed rural county.

The variety of ways and the degree to which rural counties discharged their responsibilities to insure the “best interests” of children in immigrant families provided the framework of this study.

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