The mission for the Center for the Human Rights of Children is to advance and protect the rights of children.
When Chicago Public Schools attempted to close the 1+ rated National Teachers Academy (NTA) Elementary School in the South Loop, the school community fought back and won in an unprecedented victory. Panelists from a variety of roles in this community effort including parents of children attending National Teachers Academy, teachers and school personnel, and lawyers connected with the associated lawsuit to provide a comprehensive perspective on community advocacy.
Dr. Mireille Twayigira’s story is one of both survival and resilience. A refugee who had to flee from conflict, Mireille spent much of her early childhood in search of a home. After a tragic and difficult journey in which she lost her sister, mother, and grandmother, Mireille found hope through education. Mireille received an education through Jesuit Refugee Service at Dzaleka camp in Malawi, which led to a scholarship to medical school in China. Now Mireille, who says she was “meant to serve others,” uses her medical degree and her story to help others heal and maintain hope. Join Jesuit Refugee Services/USA at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus to hear Mireille’s inspiring story and what can be done to ensure more children forced to flee from crisis and conflict can receive an education and an opportunity for a hopeful future.
While the rights and well-being of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents are a concern in both the U.S. and Europe, the recent family separation policy of the Trump administration has made the need to address the underlying social, legal, and ethical dimensions of child migration especially pressing. Upon the release of our book, Unaccompanied Migrant Children, the Richard McCormick Endowed Chair of Catholic Moral Theology and the CHRC cordially invite you to a panel.
The Center for the Human Rights of Children and the Civitas ChildLaw Center present the 4th Annual Careers in Human Rights event. On March 13, 2019, join us for an evening of discussion (4-5pm) and a reception (5-6pm) in the ChildLaw Center. The event will feature a panel of three local professionals who use their careers to further human rights initiatives in their communities. This year, our panelists will be speaking with a focus on youth violence and how the right to be safe from violence and trauma corresponds to a right to health for children under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The CHRC is pleased to announce our call for candidates for the 2019-2020 Children's Rights Law Student Scholars Program. Loyola University Chicago Law School students are invited to apply for this academic year-long position with the CHRC. Scholars will work with CHRC staff and partners on various activities that address critical and complex issues affecting children’s rights both locally and globally. Scholars receive $7,500 in tuition remission for one academic year. Applications are due March 11, 2019. Click the header to read more about this opportunity and to apply.
Lincoln Hill, CHRC Graduate Assistant published her research brief using the city of Chicago as a case study towards investigating specialized services for one of its most vulnerable subpopulations of children, primarily the development needs of its immigrant children. The desired outcome for this non-exhaustive research brief is to provide empirical evidence and best practices for Chicago community and school specialists seeking to support the social and emotional needs of their newcomer student population.
Read the joint statement by the Center for the Human Rights of Children, the Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology, Kino Border Initiative, the Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities, and 11 Jesuit Law Schools denouncing the "Zero Tolerance" policy of the Trump Administration.
Dr. James Garbarino discusses how Trump Republicans apply moral content to individuals that do not fall in their “circle of caring.” In this case how they justify separating undocumented families without going against their values.
In the wake of the recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and school shootings across America, Loyola’s Center for the Human Rights of Children affirms its commitment and full support of the student and youth voices leading the charge for reform to keep children safe in schools. Please click to read more.
"Children being separated from their parents at the hands of public policies and officials should evoke dark moments in history. Regardless of where one stands on immigration, we should all agree that there is a social value in protecting children, regardless of nationality or immigration status."
This research brief by CHRC Graduate Scholar Deidra Coleman and Associate Director Adam Avrushin, JD, PhD is a non-exhaustive summary of peer-reviewed evidence related to a children’s rights topic, intended to highlight areas for policy and advocacy work. Click through to read this publication. In it, the authors explore data surrounding the forms trauma experienced by unaccompanied immigrant children, language, and education disruption and integration. The brief also pushes for more comprehensive advocacy and protection for unaccompanied immigrant children.
The Center for the Human Rights of Children at Loyola University Chicago strongly condemns the rescission of DACA. Since 2012, DACA provided legal protection from deportation and work authorization to approximately 800,000 eligible youth and young adults who immigrated to the United States as children. DACA holders are attending our schools and churches, living in our communities, and are working among us. They are our friends, our classmates, our co-workers, and neighbors. For a list of comprehensive resources, please follow this link.
The CHRC works to protect and advance the rights of all children and youth, especially those that are marginalized. Click here for resources that may be helpful for individuals responding to the outcomes of the election, whether they be Loyola students, undocumented families, parents/professors looking to talk to their children, or anyone else.
The CHRC has a new project in collaboration with the Metropolitan Tenants Organization which aims to develop a health-focused approach to the city's building code inspection program. Click to learn more.