The U.S. Refugee Program includes specialized resettlement services for unaccompanied refugee minors. These services are provided by two voluntary agencies—Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and the United States Conference of Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS)—which have worked with unaccompanied refugee youth for more than 30 years and are authorized by the U.S. Department of State to resettle unaccompanied youth. These agencies work through licensed child welfare affiliates to provide appropriate support services.

LIRS and USCCB resettle unaccompanied minors occurs in accordance with general domestic child welfare guidelines, but we go above and beyond that standard to provide services only through programs specifically designed for refugee youth. Minors are placed in foster care or independent living arrangements, appropriate to their developmental needs. The types of services available through these programs include

• indirect financial support for housing, food, clothing and other necessities;
• medical care;
• intensive social work case management;
• independent living skills training, e.g., budgeting, housing, food preparation, social and legal systems, transportation, education, community resources, health and sexuality;
• education, specifically in English as a Second Language (ESL);
• tutoring and mentoring;
• job skills training and career or college counseling;
• mental health services;
• ongoing family tracing, where possible;
• cultural activities and recreation;
• special educational services, where needed; and
• legal assistance.

Youth who enter the United States prior to age 18 can remain in foster care or independent living until they complete high school or reach 20-21 years of age, depending upon particular state guidelines. Youth who enter the United States as unaccompanied refugee minors are eligible, as are asylee youths, refugee youths who become unaccompanied after arrival in the Unites States (e.g., through family breakdown), Cuban/Haitian entrants, Amerasians and trafficking victims.

Foster care placements are based on the individual needs of a particular youth, with attention to the cultural, linguistic and religious background of a youth; special health, educational and emotional needs; and the personality, temperament and opinions of the youth. Foster parents must be licensed by their state or county child welfare providers and receive on-going training in child welfare matters. Foster parents come from a diversity of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, and they receive special training on the adjustment needs of refugee youth.

Reclassification
Minors can become unaccompanied after resettlement in the United States. This may happen because of family breakdown or some other event leading to abandonment, abuse or neglect. Examples include unresolvable conflict between a teenager and a nonparental relative, the death of a parent or guardian, running away or abandonment. If no relative is available to care for a minor, foster care may be in the child's best interest. Such children can be reclassified by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to unaccompanied refugee minor status. In situations where a child would have to move to a different community in order to be placed in a refugee foster care program, consideration must be given to whether it is in the child's best interest to be placed in a local foster care program or be moved to a specialized refugee foster care program. Please contact LIRS or USCCB to assess what would be best for a particular child. The general process is as follows:

• Contact Children's Services of LIRS or USCCB to discuss the child's situation.
• If foster care appears in the child's best interest, LIRS or USCCB will make placement arrangements with the appropriate foster care program.
• LIRS or USCCB file an Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children form if a child is moving from one state to another.
• The foster care program arranges the official reclassification request between the state refugee coordinator and ORR.
• Travel arrangements are made after reclassification approval by ORR.
• In emergency situations, verbal placement approval can be requested from ORR and the state refugee coordinator, with paperwork completed afterward. Otherwise, this process can take one-two weeks, depending on the situation.

Contact Information
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Children's Services
700 Light Street
Baltimore, Md. 21230
410/230-2757
E-mail: childrenservices@lirs.org

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Migration and Refugee Services
Children's Services
3211 4th Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20017-1194
202/541-3352
mrs@usccb.org

Page last m odified March 2, 2007.