Migrant children--what to do?

 In Central America, for reasons unknown to me, families are bidding their young sons and daughters good-bye as they take the long, arduous journey to the United States' southern border. 

Why would families allow young children to travel this way and this far?

Why do the children desire this adventure?

We can only surmise that conditions at home led them to this frightening, challenging journey? We can only guess that they are in search of better living and opportunity. 

So what are we to do about this?

Be humane

There is a need to be humane in the face of this situation. 

Analyze the situation

There is also a call to analyze the situation. I suspect that the children represent a myriad of situations.

Find solutions for each situation

As we analyze, it's important to find solutions to each child's situation with the following questions:

• Does their family want them back?
• Do they have family in the United States?
• Are they free for adoption or foster care?
• What are their psychological, academic, and health needs?
• How can their needs be best met for tody and for the future?

Possible short term and long term solutions

Good care

For the short term, good care is a must. The children must be treated humanely.

Loving homes

Whether a loving home is where they came from or where they are going to. It is essential to find these youth loving homes.

Education and Opportunity

Some ideas for this include the following:

Home country Campuses

Universities in their homeland and the United States could team up to create vocational/technical institutes for these children where they are trained in needed skills and disciplines. The United States could work with their homeland countries to find the land, create the schools, and build programs that help those countries build a positive future.

United States Campuses

The United States could offer a number of campuses including for these youth and other displaced youth in the United States including the following:

• Military Service - it may be that some of these youth are ready and willing to serve in the United States Military--that could be one path.
• Educational Institutions - many small colleges have closed their doors recently. Those colleges could be transformed into educational and training facilities. 
• Farm Schools - There could be campuses near agricultural centers that teach the youth agricultural skills while enlisting their efforts to help sustain farms.
• Conservation and Repair Schools - In many areas of the United States, conservation and repair is needed. These youth could be trained and work part-time in these fields. 

These youth just like all American youth are our future. We must work with and for them in humane ways to secure a good future for all of us. We might start that work with the United Nations Children's Bill of Rights which I want to explore more. In my opinion, we don't take children seriously enough across the globe, and the United States needs to work with countries around the world to deal with this in humane, positive ways. 

Further, the United States needs to rethink its relationships with Central America, South America, and Canada. We have to rid our relationships of the long term damage that oppression and greed created over centuries. It's time to maximize the potential the Americas hold for good living, protected lands/resources, peace and prosperity. We can do this.