The first week of February is Children's Mental Health Week, the time to highlight the importance of children's and young people's mental health. For children living thousands of miles from a parent because of the UK's family separation rules, the mental health impact is severe and long-lasting. 

Tens of thousands of children across the UK are separated from a parent because of the Minimum Income Requirement, which splits up families based on their income. Children in this situation have been found by the Children's Commissioner to suffer from depression, night terrors, social isolation and feelings of guilt. 

Read Ela's poem below - she's 9 now, and wrote this poem about how it felt to be separated from her dad for 2 years because of the Minimum Income Requirement. Then, take action to scrap these unjust rules and bring families together, where they belong.

Take action!