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About Unaccompanied Children

Source: https://www.unicef.org/child-alert/central-america-mexico-migration

About Unaccompanied Children

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The majority of unaccompanied children (UCs) migrate to the U.S. from the Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Many children leave their countries of origin to escape violence, flee poverty, or reunite with their parents or other family members in the United States. They often undertake dangerous journeys over thousands of miles to arrive to safety in the U.S.

According to U.S. law (6 U.S. Code § 279), an unaccompanied child is a child is a who:

  1. has no lawful immigration stat­us in the United States;
  2. has not attained 18 years of age; and
  3. with respect to whom—(i) there is no parent or legal guardian in the United States; or (ii) no parent or legal guardian in the United States is available to provide care and physical custody.

Check out the following resources to learn more about UC trends, reasons for migration, applicable laws/protections, and the flow of UCs through the immigration system.

Unaccompanied children are usually apprehended at the southern U.S. border or other ports of entry by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Due to their vulnerabilities, children are transferred within 72 hours to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which provides care for the majority of UCs through a network of ORR-funded care provider facilities.

These shelters should reflect the “least restrictive setting” that matches the child’s needs, and provide medical, educational, mental health, and other services to UCs, per the requirements of the Flores Settlement Agreement and ORR policies and procedures.

Click the links below to learn more! 

Children in ORR care have the right to reunify with family or friends in the U.S. while they await their legal proceedings, if ORR deems it safe and appropriate. These relatives or family friends are called “sponsors,” who agree to take over the care of the child and ensure that they attend immigration court until their legal case is decided.

The family reunification process is designed to assess for the safety and suitability of a placement for the child. A sponsor must agree to the Sponsor Care Agreement and complete the Family Reunification Application, which may involve background checks, address and identity verification, and evidence of relationship with the child.   

Click the links below to learn more about the family reunification process and UC release statistics:

In some cases, ORR refers cases to providers like USCRI to conduct a home study prior to the the child’s release from ORR care, to ensure children are released to safe environments and that sponsors are prepared to meet their needs. A home study is required in cases of children with special needs, a history of abuse or trafficking, or UCs whose sponsor appears to pose a risk to the safety of the child, and at the discretion of ORR.

Post Release Services (PRS) are follow-up case management services provided to some UCs and families who are identified by ORR as needing additional support. PRS workers from USCRI and other providers complete home visits and phone calls with families to:

  • ensure child safety
  • promote placement stability
  • provide education to facilitate UCs’ successful integration into the community, and
  • connect families to needed resources in their community including school, medical, mental health, legal, and other services. 

USCRI prides itself in being one of the largest providers of PRS and Home Study Services, providing exemplary services to unaccompanied children and their families.

Click the links below to learn more about Home Study and Post Release Services:

PRS providers like USCRI can only accept referrals directly from ORR. If you know of a UC who needs additional support, you can call the ORR National Call Center (1-800-203-7001) to request services for the child.

USCRI’s UC Resource Center has a wealth of information for providers to learn more about issues impacting unaccompanied children, as well as supports and resources available to UCs. 

Check out our Provider Resources page for more information in the areas of legal and immigration, child trafficking, health, mental health, child welfare, special UC populations, and more. 

Our Community Resources Directory is another good place to get started to find affordable and immigrant-friendly resources in a child’s community. 

Lastly, our Información para Familias page has educational handouts and videos in Spanish for UCs, sponsors, and their families. We invite you to share these resources widely! 

Other resources:

It is critical that providers use appropriate interpretation services when needed to ensure understanding and effective communication with unaccompanied children and their families. The links below offer information for best practices for the use of interpreters.

Social service providers may come into contact with unaccompanied children from indigenous communities in Central America, or from countries outsides of Central America. Our page on Global UC Populations has more information, including special services and benefits available to children from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Haiti, and Cuba.