CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Johnson Administration and the Chicago Public Schools have launched pilot programs to help migrant children get up to speed and into the schools faster.
At Roberto Clemente High School in West Town on Monday, Mayor Brandon Johnson said the Welcoming Center will streamline enrollment services for newly arrived migrant families.
“This center is the first of its kind — connecting families in this area with education, as well as all of the services that are needed,” Johnson said.
Public schools CEO Pedro Martinez said families will not only get help signing up for school, but health care and academic assistance, too.
“We know that many of these students are also going to come in with complex emotional needs, so we will make sure that our children can reach their full potential,” he said. “We have invested in more social workers.”
If the program is a success, Martinez said there will be other centers as well.
“It really is a pilot that brings together all these services … from the district, our partners and the City,” he said. “The bigger plan is, where do we go from here?”
Beatriz Ponce de Leon, the deputy mayor for Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights, said that, like her own family, migrants are here for their children. She called them brave and added that it's the City's duty — and her honor — to help them.
Officials said access to the center will be by appointments only, so it doesn't get overwhelmed. Migrants continue to arrive in Chicago by the busload.
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