PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Monica Vera, Social Services Supervisor at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
3:39:26
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148 sec
Monica Vera, a social services supervisor at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), testifies about the importance of holistic legal and social services for unaccompanied immigrant children in New York City. She urges the City Council to expand support for these minors and engage with community stakeholders like KIND to better serve this unique population.
- Vera shares the story of Maria, a 17-year-old immigrant facing challenges with school enrollment, childcare, and housing, highlighting the complex needs of unaccompanied minors.
- KIND provides individualized support to help clients establish basic stability, access city services, and meaningfully participate in their legal cases.
- The testimony emphasizes the need for dedicated social workers and attorneys working together to support each client effectively.
Monica Vera
3:39:26
Thank you.
3:39:27
Good afternoon.
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My name is Monica Vera, and I'm a social services supervisor with Keins New York office.
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I have been a social worker working with unaccompanied children for over 8 years.
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We are also here today as members of the eye care coalition.
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As my colleagues Sarah just testified, kind knows that our holistic legal and social services work has provided crucial support to children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and other forms of violence.
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But more than that, we're trying to assure that they have a fighting chance to obtain legal status, qualification for services and benefits, and break the multiple cycles of poverty, violence, trauma that they may face.
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We urge city council to expand support on accompanying minors in a holistic manner so that legal and social services are jointly provided to ensure that these children do not only avoid deportation but have the resources and tools to thrive as New Yorkers.
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In addition, we urge city council to actively engage in community state with community stakeholders such as us as kind who have valuable expertise and recommendations on how to serve this unique population of New Yorkers.
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Let me tell you about Maria, our resilient seventeen year old young woman who fled to the US escaping violence.
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Since arriving to New York, Maria has been unable to enroll in school, and she has trouble obtaining basic needs for her infant child.
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Recently, she attempted to access a shelter but was denied due to her current pregnancy.
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That happened just a month ago.
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As social services, a supervisor with our kind office, I partnered with Maria's attorney to help her access basic needs, find child care resources and enroll in school.
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Resources that without she would it would be impossible for her to navigate just day to day life or even her legal case.
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Like Maria, unaccompanied children are often released from federal custard custody with little if any support.
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Kind helps our clients establish basic stability so that they can meaningfully participate in their legal case and thrive in other settings.
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This type of individualized support is only possible if there is dedicated social work and attorneys working together to support each client.
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Client social services includes referrals to many critical city services such as housing, medical, school enrollment, I could go on.
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IDNYC.
3:41:37
We thank the New York City Council and for all other agencies here today for your commitment to ensuring that all unaccompanied children in New York City can achieve their full potential.
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We are proud of New York City's role as a national leader in the welcome and protection of unaccompanied migrant children.
3:41:53
Thank you so much for your time.
