Standing Announcement for Residential (Long Term Foster Care) Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Division of Unaccompanied Children's Operations (DUCO), within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), provides temporary shelter care and other child welfare-related services to unaccompanied alien children (UAC) in ORR custody. Residential care services begin once ORR accepts a UAC for placement and ends when the UAC is released from ORR custody, turns 18 years of age, or the UAC's immigration case results in a final disposition of removal from the United States. Residential care and other child welfare-related services are provided by state-licensed residential care programs in the least restrictive setting appropriate for the UAC's age and needs. ORR is announcing this FOA to seek long term foster care (LTFC) providers. LTFC providers are required to be licensed in the state in which they are located to provide foster care services and are required to meet the needs of UAC by providing quality care in a community setting. UAC who may qualify for placement in LTFC include the following: UAC between the ages of 0-17 years of age; sibling groups; pregnant/parenting teens; and/or UAC who are especially vulnerable or with other needs. All entities funded under this FOA must also comply with Flores v. Reno, Case No. CV 85-4544RJK (C.D. Cal. 1996) (Flores settlement agreement), pertinent regulations, laws, and ORR policies, instructions, and procedures. ORR encourages applicants to review ORR's policies, instructions, and procedures available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/children- entering-the-united-states-unaccompanied as these will be critical to the overall program design.