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Oakland Unified School District

For Immigrant Families

You do not have to share the following information with school officials:

  • You do not have to share information, including passports or visas, regarding the immigration status of students, parents, guardians, or other family members.
  • You do not have to provide Social Security numbers (SSN) or cards.
  • When completing the "Free and Reduced-Price Meals" form, only provide the last four digits of the SSN of the adult household member who signs the application.
  • If the family meets the income eligibility requirements and no adult household member has a SSN, your child still qualifies. Check the "No SSN" box on forms where applicable, to ensure that applications are complete.
  • If any household member participates in CalFresh, CalWORKS (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids), or FDPIR (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations), no adult household member needs to provide the last four digits of his or her SSN to qualify the student for free or reduced-price meals at school.
  • When providing information for proof of a student's residency or age, you do not have to use documents that could reveal information related to immigration status.

Take steps to protect student information:

  • Ask for the school's written privacy policies regarding student information.
  • Review the school's policy for "directory information" - which allows for public release of basic student information - and consider whether to opt out of releasing of that information.

Take steps to prepare for situations where one or more parents or guardians are detained or deported:

Develop and keep in a safe place a "Family Safety Plan" that includes the following information:

  • Name of a trusted adult to take care for your child if no parent or guardian can.
  • Emergency phone numbers and instructions on where to find important documents (birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards, doctor contact information, etc.)
  • Make sure that your child's school always has current emergency contact information, including alternative contacts if no parent or guardian is available.

The following resources are available to immigrant families responding to detentions or deportations:

For more information on resources for responding to immigration enforcement activities at California schools, or to file a complaint, please contact:

California Attorney General's Office Bureau of Children's Justice

P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento, CA 94244-2550

Phone: (800) 952-5225

Email Us

File a Complaint

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