About The Children

Who Are the Kids?

When a family finds themselves in the midst of war, famine, or persecution, survival often means a dangerous journey. Sometimes families are split apart as they flee for their safety, sometimes parents don’t survive the journey, and sometimes children flee alone.

LIRS is one of only two agencies approved to work with unaccompanied refugee minors. Most of these children come from deeply destabilized countries and were living in refugee camps before being approved to resettle in the United States. LIRS works to pair each child with a long-term safe and stable home — many with loving foster families — as the vulnerable youth begin the process of healing and building a new life in America.

In the past several years, we have seen a growing number of children flee to the U.S. from Central America, primarily El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, without any parent accompanying them. These unaccompanied migrant children are often fleeing gang violence, trafficking, threats, and extortion, as well as abuse, domestic violence, and poverty. Many are seeking to be reunified with family in the United States and will enter transitional foster care while we work toward that reunification.