Home Study and Post Release Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children

The Office of Refugee Resettlement/Division of Unaccompanied Children Operations (ORR/DUCO), within the Administration for Children and Families, is announcing the availability of funds for the Home Study (HS) and Post Release Services (PRS) for Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC). The HS/PRS for UAC Program conducts home studies for certain UAC, prior to their release from ORR custody, and provides post release services for UAC after they are released in accordance with the requirements of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2008. Under this Program, both HS and PRS services must be provided nationwide. To safely release UAC to sponsors, living in the United States, certain categories of UAC, who are at risk or display special needs, are referred for home studies. Home studies are also conducted for any case in which a sponsor presents a safety risk to the UAC. In order to promote the safety and well-being of UAC, after their release to a sponsor in the U.S., certain categories of children, who display special needs, are referred for post-release services. Post release services are required for all UAC who receive a home study. For cases, where there is no safety risk in releasing a UAC to a sponsor but additional assistance is required to connect the UAC and sponsor to needed resources upon discharge from ORR custody, the case may be referred for post-release only services (i.e., no home study is required). All entities funded under this Funding Opportunity Announcement must comply with ORR HS and PRS' policies and procedures, the Flores Settlement Agreement, and pertinent regulations and laws. ORR encourages applicants to review ORR/DCS' policies at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/ programs/orr/resource/children- entering-the-united- states-unaccompanied.