A Guide for Parents in Illinois who are Undocumented - A Child Care Safety Plan

Sep 19, 2026

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A practical safety-planning guide for undocumented families in Illinois who fear detention or deportation and want to protect their children. It explains that all people in the United States have rights, highlights the value of speaking with a legal expert before any arrest, and outlines how to prepare child care safety plans. It also describes options involving immigration, family law court, and the child welfare system, emphasizing planning before crisis events.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages58

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose of the Guide

Rights and legal support

Child care safety plans

Three Different Systems

Immigration System

Family Law Court System

Child Welfare System

A Guide for Parents in Illinois who are Undocumented Prepared by: Legislation & Policy Clinic Civitas ChildLaw Center Loyola University Chicago School of Law | "\#$%%C%D ()*+),* -.C\#/*0% C% -$10 )( 20P0%PC)% )*
204)*P$PC)% | | --- | | October 2017
Updated May 2025 | | | | | | | --- | --- | | The following students and faculty in the Legislation and Policy Clinic at Loyola University Chicago School of Law prepared this Guide under the supervision of Professor Anita Weinberg, Director of the Clinic:
Julia Alberts, Alison Davis, Emily Tulloch, and
Lauren Schroeder, Post-Graduate Policy and Legislation Clinical Teaching Fellow
The following individuals and organizations reviewed and provided feedback on this Guide:
Sioban Albiol, DePaul University College of Law
Hilda Bahena, Catholic Charities Legal Assistance Department Salvador Cicero, Cicero-Vargas Law Group
Amanda Crews Slezak, National Immigrant Justice Center
Deborah Dyer-Webster, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Maria Ferrera, DePaul University, Department of Social Work
Alexandra Fung, formerly National Immigrant Justice Center
Katherine Kaufka Walts, Loyola University Chicago, Center for the Human Rights of Children Laskshmi Lakshmanan, Law Offices of Lakshmi Lakshmanan
Deanne Medina, Community Activism Law Alliance
Rebekah Azar Rashidfarokhi, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Hillary Richardson, National Immigrant Justice Center Griselda Sanchez, Loyola University Chicago School of Law Amanda Walsh, Legal Council for Health Justice
For the 2025 update, thank you to:
Marissa Curiel, B.B.A. Candidate
Mayra Diaz, Health and Medicare Policy Research Group Marcelle Dupuy. J.D. Candidate
Diana Rodriguez Cortes, J.D. Candidate
Colleen Flaherty, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Julie Sollinger, Office of the Cook County Public Guardian
Fred Tsao, Illinois Coalition for Refugee and Immigrant Rights
This Guide can be found online at: [https://luc.edu/law/immigrationguide](https://luc.edu/law/immigrationguide)
Spanish version: [https://luc.edu/law/guiadeinmigracion](https://luc.edu/law/guiadeinmigracion) | | | This Guide was completed in the fall of 2017 and
updated May 2025
It is possible the information may change over time. | 1 | | | | | | | --- | | Purpose of the Guide
Families who are undocumented may be afraid of being detained or deported and may have questions about what could happen to their children. It is normal to be worried and feel overwhelmed, but there are things you can do to try to help ensure your children are kept safe.
All people living in the United States have certain rights. Even people in immigration detention and deportation proceedings have rights. Not all immigration arrests lead to deportation. You may have a reason for being in the U.S. that will allow you to stay. It is a good idea to speak with someone with expertise about ways to obtain legal immigration status. This is best done before you are arrested. You can find more information about how to find someone who knows the law on pages 6-8 of this Guide. Information about your rights is available in many languages including in the following Know Your Rights materials:
• [https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights](https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights)
• These links provide fact sheets and printable cards to help you assert your rights if you come into contact with immigration agents:
o [https://www.icirr.org/fsn](https://www.icirr.org/fsn)
o [https://www.ilrc.org/know-your-rights-and-what-immigrant-families-should-do-now](https://www.ilrc.org/know-your-rights-and-what-immigrant-families-should-do-now)
This Guide tells you about different arrangements you can make for the care of your children in case you are detained or deported. It also describes what you need to do to make the arrangements. These arrangements, called chi

FAQs

What is the purpose of this guide for undocumented parents in Illinois?

The guide helps families understand options for keeping children safe if a parent is detained or deported, and explains what to do to make child care safety plans.

Why is making a child care safety plan before detention or deportation recommended?

Making the plan in advance is easier because arranging care can become more difficult after detention or deportation.

What three systems does the guide describe?

It describes the immigration system, family law court (sometimes called probate or circuit court), and the child welfare system involving child welfare or juvenile courts and DCFS.

Sep 19, 2026

Upload by Aurora