This project is the work of reporters from El Tiempo Latino and Chicago Health Magazine, supported by the Fund for Investigative Journalism, International Women’s Media Foundation’s Lauren Brown Fellowship, and IRE Chauncey Bailey Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship.
March 6, 2025
Clavel Rangel & Katie Scarlett Brandt
This is the story of thousands of families, violently uprooted from their homeland, now struggling to build new lives and opportunities for their children. Schools, community members, and human rights organizations have played a crucial role in addressing their mental health needs and integration. Yet, as these families face ongoing hardships, the strength of those support systems is tested every day.
The team of reporters working on After the Darién has spoken over the past year to more than three dozen social workers, psychologists, teachers, frontline organizers, and forcibly-displaced migrant families. We analyzed statistical data to understand how mental health needs are being addressed, and we spoke to families to learn their journeys, internal and external.
A production of
INVESTIGATION AND PRODUCTION
Clavel Rangel, Katie Scarlett Brandt, and Tibisay Zea
TEXT
Clavel Rangel and Katie Scarlett Brandt
VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Nathalie Sayago and Joel Angel Juárez
ILLUSTRATION AND ANIMATION
Gabriela Rodríguez Soledad
GRAPHICS
Roberth Delgado and Gabriela Rodríguez Soledad
EDITING
Tibisay Zea, Catherine Gianaro, and Rafael Ulloa
FACT CHECKING
Shannon Sparks
DESIGN Y WEB DEVELOPMENT
Gabriela Rodríguez Soledad and Roberth Delgado
SOCIAL MEDIA
Gabriela Rodríguez Soledad, Clavel Rangel and Katie Scarlett Brandt
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
Katie Scarlett Brandt and Clavel Rangel
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This project was made possible with investigative guidance from Peniley Ramírez of Futuro Media Group and Kate Howard of Reveal at the Center for Investigative Reporting.
And our profound thanks to the families who trusted us with their stories, the educators who shared their experiences throughout this crisis, and the mental health experts dedicated to helping children process and integrate their experiences.
