Wendy Cervantes
Vice President, Immigration and Child Rights Policy
WendyC[at]firstfocus.net
Wendy Cervantes is the Vice President of Immigration and Child Rights Policy for First Focus. In this role she is responsible for leading the organization’s work in cross-cutting policy areas that impact children of immigrants and their families including child welfare, immigration, education, human rights, family economics, and health.
Before joining First Focus, Ms. Cervantes was Director of Programs at La Plaza, a Latino community-based organization in central Indiana. At La Plaza Ms. Cervantes oversaw the development and evaluation of education, health, and social service programs that reached over 7,000 families annually. As a member of the Indiana Commission for Hispanic and Latino Affairs Education Committee, she also advocated on behalf of English Language Learners and other vulnerable Latino students. Prior to La Plaza, Ms. Cervantes worked at the Annie E. Casey Foundation where she managed the national immigrant and refugee families portfolio and the District of Columbia portfolio. While at the Foundation, she also oversaw the KIDS COUNT immigrant state policy grants and led the Foundation’s efforts on family literacy and immigrant adolescent development.
Ms. Cervantes also has experience as a transnational community organizer, an adult ESL instructor, and a youth program coordinator. She currently serves on the Associate Board of the Latin American Youth Center, the Advisory Board of the We Belong Together Campaign, and as the Policy Co-chair of the Migration and Child Welfare National Network. In 2011, she was selected as an ALL IN Fellow with the National Hispana Leadership Institute. The proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, she holds an M.A. in Latin American Studies and Political Science from the University of New Mexico and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Southern California.
Resources by Wendy Cervantes
- First Focus comments on proposed child labor regulations for agriculture
December 1, 2011 - The Important Role of the Child Tax Credit in Reducing Child Poverty
December 9, 2011 - The Impact of Immigration Policy on Education and Child Well-Being
September 15, 2011 - Improving the Wellbeing of Children of Immigrants: Priorities for the 112th Congress
March 11, 2011 - Children of Immigrants and Healthcare Coverage
March 11, 2011 - Children of Immigrants and Nutrition Supports
March 11, 2011 - Children in Immigrant Families: Ensuring Opportunity for Every Child in America
March 3, 2011 - All Children Born Equal: Preserving Birthright Citizenship for America’s Children
November 8, 2010 - Caught Between Systems: The Intersection of Immigration and Child Welfare Policies
May 21, 2010 - Language, Culture, and Immigration Relief Options
May 21, 2010 - The Impact of Immigration Enforcement on Child Welfare
April 7, 2010
Blog Posts by Wendy Cervantes
- Shattered Families: New Report Takes Closer Look at Devastating Effects of Immigration Enforcement
November 2, 2011 - My Mother’s Story and Why I’m Going to Georgia
September 26, 2011 - Two Teens Lose Their Lives, Yet Law Remains the Same
July 29, 2011 - U.S. Child Farmworkers: Dreading their Summer Vacation
May 25, 2011 - A Twisting of the Safety Net for Children of Immigrants
April 11, 2011 - Ensuring Opportunity for Every Child
March 28, 2011 - A DREAM Come True in Maryland
March 15, 2011 - A Mother and Son Await Justice
February 3, 2011 - Birthright Citizenship at Risk
January 5, 2011 - The DREAM Will Never Die
December 20, 2010 - The DREAM is Near
December 9, 2010 - All Kids Deserve to DREAM
December 7, 2010 - DREAMing of More Than a Campaign Promise
November 16, 2010 - Born Equal
November 8, 2010 - College DREAMs
October 21, 2010 - The New American Voters
October 15, 2010 - New Report Examines Immigrant Children in the Texas Child Welfare System
September 27, 2010 - New Report Examines Immigrant Children in the Texas Child Welfare System
September 27, 2010 - New Brief from the Urban Institute Profiles Young Children of Immigrants
September 2, 2010 - Advocates Denounce the Utah Blacklist
July 26, 2010 - New Data from Urban Institute Describes Family Circumstances of Children of Immigrants
July 7, 2010 - Impact of Immigration on Latino Children in Georgia
June 25, 2010 - Government Cracks Down on Farmers Who Hire Children
June 21, 2010 - Human Rights Watch Releases New Report on U.S. Child Labor
May 5, 2010
