When a home is being affected by eminent domain, it can be a confusing and emotional time for the whole family. Eminent domain and condemnation processes allow the government to take private property for public use, like building a new road, school or utility infrastructure. For children, the idea of losing their home and moving somewhere new can be particularly difficult to understand.
If your house has become a target of eminent domain for the government, explaining the situation to your kids in a way that is simple, honest and comforting can help them process what’s happening and prepare for the changes ahead.
Use simple, clear language
When talking to kids about something as complex as eminent domain, it’s important to keep your explanation simple. For younger children, you might say, “The people who plan things for the community have decided they need our home to build something important, like a new road or school. That means we will have to move to a different house.”
Using familiar concepts can help kids understand what’s happening without overwhelming them with too many details. With this said, for older kids, you can provide a bit more context, explaining that the government sometimes needs to use land for projects that help the community, and that’s why they are asking families to move.
Answering the question “Why?”
Children may feel scared or confused about why they have to leave their home. Explain that sometimes, communities need to build things that help a lot of people, like better roads or schools. For those projects to happen, they might need land where homes are already built. This is why they’re asking families, like yours, to move. You could say, “Our home is in a spot where they need to build something new that will help other people in the neighborhood. It’s not because of anything we did wrong, and it doesn’t mean our home isn’t special. It just means that it’s needed for something different now.”
Kids may have a lot of questions about where they will live, if they can bring their toys, and whether their daily routine will change. It’s important to reassure them that, although things are changing, they will still have a safe and comfortable place to live. Let them know that your family will find a new home where they can feel happy and secure, and that you’ll all be together through the process.