Families at the Border
In support of the health and wellness of immigrant families and children
Stanford University’s Families at the Border (FATB) formed from a July 2019 town hall meeting to discuss the ongoing developments of our current border crisis. With over 18,000+ refugee family encounters at the border since October 2019, the crisis has only continued to grow. Working toward improving the health and wellbeing of all refugee families in Tijuana, our group is comprised of doctors, students, and affiliated professionals driven to create positive change.
Who we are
We are a group of community members, physicians, medical professionals, and university affiliates working toward improving the health and wellness of immigrant families and youth at the US- Mexican border.
What we do
In partnership with Prevencasa, Justicia en Salud, and Resistencia, community based health service clinics in Tijuana, we work to provide material support, medical training and education, and advocacy to contribute to the ongoing efforts to support migrant families in need.
In the News
Current Projects
2021
Nutrition Program
With the help of our partners in Tijuana, we are organizing a pilot nutrition program for children and their families. Alongside an educative curriculum, students at the Canyon Nest shelter will be given weekly snack packs to encourage and promote healthy eating habits.
Helping Babies Breathe
Medical professionals from Stanford Medicine have been working to develop and teach a post-birth resuscitation curriculum known as "Helping Babies Breathe" to on-the-ground providers in Tijuana. Through our donorship, we have also been able to send essential equipment and supplies for the medical training.
Advocacy
We are bringing together a collaborative of supporters to advocate and push for policies that reflect the prioritization of the health and wellbeing of refugees at the border. We are working to strengthen our network across academic institutions including UCSF and UCSD.
The Medical School community coming together in support of families who are stationed at the border.
Volunteers gathering medical supplies to donate for our partner clinics in Tijuana
Children at one of our local shelter partners in Tijuana after receiving some of our recent donations of books and other material resources to support continued education.
The Helping Babies Breathe training programs led by some of our providers over Zoom
Our Impact
Improving Local Clinical Support
In partnership with the CORE (Coordinating and Optimizing Resources Effectively) Program in the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, we’ve created systems to better identify, screen, and support asylum-seekers at our hospital. We’ve disseminated this work at the 2021 National American Academic of Pediatrics Conference and the 2021 NorCal American Case Management Association Conference.
Providers
Working in partnership with Refugee Health Alliance (RHA) and local clinic Prevencasa, FATB works diligently to build the capacity of Tijuana’s shelters and clinics to address the growing primary care needs of the increasing refugee population.
Supplies
Our partner shelters and clinics communicated a desperate need for medications, medical supplies, and necessities for sanitation, warmth, and safety. In 2019, we were able to complete 8 full deliveries of essential resources through the generous donations of our supporters. In 2020 and to the present, we have continued to support shelter needs through the recruitment of sponsorships and donations from partners across the Bay Area.
Support During COVID-19
The alarming rise of COVID19 in many areas along the border have over-burdened already strained clinics. Continuing with our partnerships in Tijuana, FATB is supporting the integration of telehealth programs in clinics through technology resource donations and clinical trainings to provide for the safe care of patients.
How To Get Involved
***Border Donations are tax-deductible***