A C F

FACT SHEET
SUBJECT:U.S. Department of Human Services, Administration for Children and
Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Unaccompanied Alien Children Program
The Divisionof Children's Services(DCS) provides care and placement for children who come into the
United States from other countries without an adult guardian. These children are referred to as
unaccompanied alien children(UAC) in statutes. This program is in the Office of Refugee Resettlement,
in the Administration for Children and Families, an operational division of U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
Treating all children in its custody with dignity, respect and special concern for individual needs, DCS
considers the best interests of the child in all placement decisions. DCS strives to provide the highest
quality of care tailored to each unaccompanied child in order to maximize opportunities for success both
while in care and when discharged from the program.
UAC generally leave their home countries to join family already in the United States, escape abuse,
persecution or exploitation in the home country, or to seek employment or educational opportunities in
the United States.
Background
Legal basisfor work with UACs:
By law, HHS must provide for the custody and care of unaccompanied alien children. An
unaccompanied alien child is a child who has no lawful immigration status in the United States; has not
attained 18 years of age; and, with respect to whom, there is no parent or legal guardian in the United
States, or no parent or legal guardian in the United States available to provide care and physical custody.
See 6 U.S.C. 279(g)(2).
Under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Congress transferred the care and custody of UAC to HHS
from the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to move towards a child welfare-based-
model of care for children and away from the adult detention model. In the Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, which expanded and redefined HHS's statutory responsibilities,
Congress directed that UAC must "be promptly placed in the least restrictive setting that is in the best
interest of the child." See 8 U.S.C. 1232(b)(2).
Children Served:
On average between 7,000 and 8,000 children are served annually in this program. In Fiscal Year 2012
(October 1, 2011 - September 30, 2012), this number jumped dramatically, with a total of 13,625
children served by ORR that year. Since that time, the overall increase has continued, resulting in
24,668 UAC referrals from DHS for the 12-month reporting period in FY2013, with the projection for
FY2014 currently set at 60,000 referrals.
The children come primarily from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Most are over 14 and
approximately three quarters of them are boys. In FY 2013, origin of youth in this program was as
follows: Guatemala (37%); El Salvador (26%); Honduras (30%); Mexico (3%); Ecuador (2%); and Other
(3%). Over the years, the breakdown per country of origin has remained relatively constant.
Children are referred to ORR for placement by another federal agency, usually the Department of
Homeland Security. Most children are placed into care because they were apprehended by immigration
authorities while trying to cross the border; others are referred after coming to the attention of
immigration authorities at some point after crossing the border. The average length of stay in the
program is currently near 35 days. Of the children served, some 85%are reunified with their families.
Reasons why these minors have come to the United States include, but are not limited to, the following:
To escape violence, abuse or persecution in their home countries.
To find family members already residing in the United States
To seek work to support themselves, their family, or their own children
Were brought into the United States by human trafficking rings
The age of these individuals, their separation from parents and relatives, and the hazardous journey
they take make them especially vulnerable to human trafficking, exploitation and abuse.
Services Provided:
Within HHS, the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Administration on Children and Families is
responsible for providing care to children referred by immigration authorities. Consistent with federal
law, ORR/DUCS places children in the least restrictive setting that is in the best interest of the child,
taking into account potential flight risk and danger to self and others. The majority of the youth are
cared for through a network of state-licensed ORR-funded care providers that provide:
Classroom education
Mental and medical health services
Case management
Socialization and recreation
Family reunification services that facilitate safe and timely release to family members or other
sponsors that can care for them. We conduct home studies prior to release if safety is in
question, and fund follow-up services for at-risk children after their release.
ORR's Division of Children's Services also assumes the following responsibilities:
Overseeing the infrastructure and personnel of care provider facilities.
Conducting on-site monitoring visits of care provider facilities and ensuring compliance with DCS
national care standards.
Collecting, analyzing and reporting statistical information on children in the program.
Providing training to federal, state and local officials who have substantive contact with
unaccompanied, undocumented children.
Developing procedures for age determinations and conducting these determinations along with
the Department of Homeland Security.
Cooperating with the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review to ensure
that sponsors of the children receive legal orientation presentations.
Ensuring access to legal representation or counsel for all undocumented, unaccompanied
children in custody.
Granting specific consent for state court jurisdiction over children.
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Updated: May 2014
Emsworth Informational Meeting
July 29,2014
Frequently Asked Questions
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS)
operates about 100 short-term shelters throughout the United States for children who enter the
country without a parent or relative. These shelters are consistently quiet and good neighbors in the
communities where they are located. Recently, because of a large increase in the number of
unaccompanied children crossing the border, the UShas had to quickly open temporary shelters to
meet the needs of this vulnerable population. Below are some of the questions that community
members have frequently, and understandably, asked.
Q: Howdo these temporary shelters affect our community?
A: The impact on the local community is minimal. HHSpays for, and provides all services for the
children through its network of grantees. This includes providing food, clothing, education and medical
screening to the children. Most activities, including outdoor recreation time, take place on the grounds
of the shelter.
Q: Will the children attend school at Avonworth?
A: No. The Holy Family shelter children will attend classes on the campus in a building that is separate
from the new high school - Holy Family Academy.
Q: Will the children go swimmingat the Avonworth Park, or visit local attractions?
A: On occasion, the children may attend activities in the community with supervision by staff
members. HFI has its own swimming pool, play fields, gymnasium, and tennis court.
Q: Do these children pose a health risk?
A: When children come into the HHSprogram, they are given a well-child exam and all needed
childhood vaccinations to protect against communicable diseases. They are also screened for
tuberculosis, and receive a mental health exam. If children are determined to have any communicable
disease or have been exposed to a communicable disease, they are placed in a program or facility that
has the capacity to quarantine. If they have mental health problems, they are similarly placed in a
specialized facility to meet their needs, and not in a temporary shelter.
Q: Is our community safe with these children in it? There are rumors that some of these children are
gangmembers.
A: Many of these children are fleeing violent situations in their home country and choose to leave
rather than join a gang. They endure a long and dangerous journey to reach the border. When they are
placed in an ORR facility, they are, as a rule, relieved to be in a safe and caring environment where they
can wait for a family member to arrive to take custody. When at the temporary shelters, the children
do not leave the grounds until they have been placed with a sponsor. These sponsors are most often
family members and do not reside in the area of the temporary shelter. Children served in the ORR
program do not integrate into the local community. They are not permitted to roam the local town or
visit area attractions unless supervised by approved staff. Pennsylvania state licensing requires a
staffing ratio of 1:8. Each staff member is required to maintain visibility of children at all times and
know the exact location of each child.
Q: What are the ages of the children that will be living in Holy Family Institute's shelter?
A: The children served by Holy Family will be 12 years old and younger.
Q: How long will the children stay in the temporary shelter?
A: The average stay is less than 35 days.
Q: Can media visit the temporary shelters?
A: Outside of official tours that may be conducted by HHS, media is not allowed access to the shelters
in order to ensure the safety and privacy of the children.
Q: Can I foster or adopt one or more of the unaccompanied children?
A: Pressley Ridge is working with HFI and will provide foster care services for very young children. At
least one parent must be bilingual. You can contact HFI or Pressley Ridge if you are interested in
becoming a licensed foster home. Refugee minors are generally not eligible for adoption, however,
recent policy changes from the Department of Children and Families and the Office for Refugee
Resettlement now permits adoption of children in the URMP under very specific circumstances.
For more information on long-term foster care and adoption, you can contact one of the foster care
providers who care for unaccompanied children, such as United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, who have provided foster care to unaccompanied
refugee and immigrant children for many years:
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS)
Website: http://lirs.org/fostercare/
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Website: http://www.usccb.orR/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/children/f...
Q: How else can I help?
A: HFI welcomes volunteers in all of our programs including the new shelter for unaccompanied
minors. All volunteers must pass child abuse, state, and FBI criminal clearances. Please contact us at
www.hfi-pgh.ors.
Q: Can I make a donation?
A: We appreciate your support and welcome your help. The best way to help us is to make an
unrestricted contribution to Holy Family Institute. Such gifts will help Holy Family continue its ability to
reach out to the most vulnerable children that need our support here in the Pittsburgh community.
HFI will use any restricted contributions for the unaccompanied minors for any costs that are not
reimbursed by the government. HFI expects that most the costs associated with the care of these
children will be covered.