To the editor:

I am deeply troubled by the separation of children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border. While President Trump has signed a new executive order revising his administration’s policy of separating children from their parents, his order does not address the more than 2,300 children who have already been separated.

As a parent and educator, the audio of children sobbing for their mothers and the images of kids crying for their parents are heart-wrenching. I have seen firsthand the effects of trauma on a child’s development both personally and professionally. These children need to be reunited with their families to prevent further traumatic stress that can have a lifelong negative impact on the children.

If the administration will not do that on its own, then Congress must act to put the best interests of kids first. Fortunately, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Jerrold Nadler have proposed legislation – the Keep Families Together Act – that calls for the reunification of children who are separated from their families. It would also make it law that kids can’t be unnecessarily separated from their families, so this never happens again. This bill also requires training for staff in childhood trauma and child development, critical to ensuring these children get the care they need, especially if they are in a dangerous situation.

I am pleading with Sen. Pat Roberts and Sen. Jerry Moran to support the Keep Families Together Act. America has always been a beacon of hope and refuge; it is what makes our country great!