Global Fund for Children and its partners fight for a world where young people enjoy equal rights, resources, and the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Separating children from families and detaining young people indefinitely and inhumanely with inadequate access to necessities, medical care, education, and play has adverse short- and long-term consequences on children’s wellbeing.

The administration’s recent announcement to modify protections embodied in the Flores Agreement means more children will be detained and traumatized. For more than two decades, the Flores Agreement has limited the time that migrant children can be detained and has required the least restrictive conditions possible.

Children – no matter where they are from – deserve to feel safe, valued, and loved. Children have the right to safeguarding that protects their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing from adversity and trauma.

“We are proud to stand with our courageous partner organizations fighting for children and families fleeing violence, poverty, and injustice. We have a responsibility to ensure that no child experiences inhumane treatment or detention,” said John Hecklinger, President and CEO of Global Fund for Children.

Global Fund for Children and its Adolescent Girls and Migration initiative partners support adolescent girls in communities of origin, transit, destination, and return, and call for policies that address the root causes of migration and strengthen young people’s wellbeing throughout their journeys. We urge the United States, Mexico, and Guatemala to put children’s rights and safety first as they respond to the migration crisis.

About the Adolescent Girls and Migration Initiative

Global Fund for Children’s Adolescent Girls and Migration initiative supports a cohort of 12 civil society organizations through core flexible funding, network facilitation, and capacity development to strengthen their programs and advocacy to protect the safety and rights of migrant girls in Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States.

About Global Fund for Children

Global Fund for Children partners to build a world where all children and youth enjoy equal resources and opportunities in society and live free from violence, discrimination, and exploitation. To that end, GFC invests in innovative local organizations, helping them deepen their impact and build their capacity for social change. Together, GFC and its partners advance the rights of children and youth facing poverty and injustice and equip them with the tools and skills to reach their full potential. Since 1997, Global Fund for Children has invested $44 million in more than 700 organizations, reaching over 11 million children and youth worldwide.