Resources

Gaps in Sponsor Screening and Followup Raise Safety Concerns for Unaccompanied Children

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Gaps in Sponsor Screening and Followup Raise Safety Concerns for Unaccompanied Children

Office of Inspector General, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services (February 15, 2024)

This report highlights the findings and recommendations of a review of ORR’s implementation of sponsor screening and post-release followup calls for children in ORR custody.

Family Separation and Reunification Under President Trump’s Zero-Tolerance Policy

By | Family Separation, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Enforcement, Legal/Law, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Family Separation and Reunification Under President Trump’s Zero-Tolerance Policy

Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes and José R. Bucheli, International Migration Review (June 8, 2023)

This article examines the impacts of the Zero Tolerance Policy on unaccompanied minors, including their numbers, time in ORR custody, and likelihood of family reunification.

Update on Efforts to Mitigate Child Labor Exploitation and Internal Audit on Placement Process Used to Transfer Custody of Unaccompanied Children to Vetted Sponsors

By | Child Well-Being, Foster Care, Immigrant Youth, Research, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Update on Efforts to Mitigate Child Labor Exploitation and Internal Audit on Placement Process Used to Transfer Custody of Unaccompanied Children to Vetted Sponsors

Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children & Families (June 2, 2023)

This report provides updates and recommendations on efforts on the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) efforts to address concerns of child labor exploitation for unaccompanied minors release from ORR custody.

Utterly Alone in Court: How Unaccompanied Minors’ Lack of Access to Appointed Counsel Falls Short of Domestic, International, and Biblical Standards

By | Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Legal/Law, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Utterly Alone in Court: How Unaccompanied Minors’ Lack of Access to Appointed Counsel Falls Short of Domestic, International, and Biblical Standards

Elizabeth Gilbert, Journal of Global Justice and Public Policy (June 27, 2023)

This paper explores the lack of a right to government-funded counsel for unaccompanied minors in immigration proceedings via a comparison of the U.S. immigration system with those of Germany, Italy, and Greece.

Strengthening Medical and Mental Health Services for Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities

By | Child Well-Being, Foster Care, Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight, Social Work, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Strengthening Medical and Mental Health Services for Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities

Jonathan Beier, Karla Fredricks, & Courtney Mosley, Migration Policy Institute (April 24, 2023)

This webinar discusses findings from a recent study on unaccompanied children’s access to medical and mental health services after release from federal custody, highlighting barriers to care and recommendations to strengthen and improve access to these services for UCs. Audio, video, and Powerpoint slides are available and detailed results can be found in the new report A Path to Meeting the Medical and Mental Health Needs of Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement Needs To Improve Its Oversight Related to the Placement and Transfer of Unaccompanied Children

By | Child Well-Being, Foster Care, Immigrant Youth, Research, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

The Office of Refugee Resettlement Needs To Improve Its Oversight Related to the Placement and Transfer of Unaccompanied Children

Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (May 2023)

This report analyses the adherence of the Office of Refugee Resettlement to its policies and procedures related to making initial placements of unaccompanied children in care provider facilities and when transferring children between facilities and offers recommendations for improvement.

Educational Services for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in the United States

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Educational Services for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in the United States

Robert G. Hasson III, Caitlin Corbett, Antonia Diaz-Valdez, Kerri Evans, Thomas M. Crea & Dawnya Underwood, Journal of Social Service Research (July 25, 2022)

This research explored factors, such as age and placement, associated with reporting educational services as a primary need among unaccompanied minors receiving post release services.

Mental Health Services for Unaccompanied Children in the United States

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Mental Health Services for Unaccompanied Children in the United States

Robert G. Hasson III, Antonia Diaz-Valdez, & Dawnya Underwood, Journal of Loss & Trauma (November 8, 2022)

This research explored factors, such as country of origin, gender, and age, associated with reporting mental health services as a primary need among unaccompanied minors.

Four Strategies to Improve Community Services for Unaccompanied Children in the United States

By | Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Four Strategies to Improve Community Services for Unaccompanied Children in the United States

Jonathan Beier, Lauren Farwell, Rhonda Fleischer, & Essey Workie; Migration Policy Institute (December 2022)

This brief outlines service gaps and barriers for unaccompanied children transitioning from federal custody into U.S. communities and provides resources and promising practices for community organizations, government agencies, and funders to improve supports for these children.

Punishing Trauma: Significant Incident Reports and Children in Immigration Proceedings

By | Child Well-Being, Highlighted Resources, Immigrant Youth, Research, Social Work, Trauma, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Punishing Trauma: Significant Incident Reports and Children in Immigration Proceedings

Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights and National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) (September 2022)

This report documents the shortcomings of the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s “Significant Incident Reports” and provides recommendations on how ORR can overhaul this system in order to better protect the mental and physical health and safety of unaccompanied children.

Post-Release Services for Unaccompanied Children: Current Gaps and Needed Improvements

By | Immigrant Youth, Social Work, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Post-Release Services for Unaccompanied Children: Current Gaps and Needed Improvements

Kerri Evans, and Tatiana Londoño. With editorial contributions from: Benjamin J. Roth, Jayshree Jani, Jodi Berger Cardoso, Robert Hasson III, Kelechi C. Wright, Susan Schmidt, Megan Finno-Velasquez, and Sophia Sepp; Center on Immigration and Child Welfare (August 1, 2022)

This research brief developed by the Center on Immigration and Child Welfare focuses on post-release services for unaccompanied children and provides insights into the current gaps and needed improvements.

Mental Health of Refugee Children and Youth: Epidemiology, Interventions, and Future Directions

By | Child Well-Being, Highlighted Resources, Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight, Trauma, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Mental Health of Refugee Children and Youth: Epidemiology, Interventions, and Future Directions

Rochelle L. Frounfelker, Diana Miconi, Jordan Farrar, Mohamad Adam Brooks, Cécile Rousseau, and Theresa S. Betancourt, Annual Reviews (April 2020)

This article summarizes current epidemiological knowledge of refugee youth mental health as well as related interventions, highlights current challenges and limitations, presents potential opportunities and recommendations in refugee child psychiatric epidemiology and mental health services research.

Child Maltreatment & Child Migration: Abuse Disclosures by Central American and Mexican Unaccompanied Migrant Children

By | Child Maltreatment, Immigrant Youth, Research, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Child Maltreatment & Child Migration: Abuse Disclosures by Central American and Mexican Unaccompanied Migrant Children

Susan Schmidt, Journal on Migration and Human Security (February 23, 2022)

This article analyzes data from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) to examine child maltreatment experienced by unaccompanied minors from Mexico and Central America and provides policy recommendations.

Relaunching the Central American Minors Program: Opportunities to Enhance Child Safety and Family Reunification

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Relaunching the Central American Minors Program: Opportunities to Enhance Child Safety and Family Reunification

Mark Greenberg, Stephanie Heredia, Kira Monin, Celia Reynolds and Essay Workie, Migration Policy Institute (December 2021)

This report examines the relaunch and essential parts of the Central American Minors Program, including expanded eligibility, and provides recommendations for the current version.

A Vision Forward: Policies Needed to Protect the Best Interests of ‘Category 4′ Unaccompanied Immigrant Children

By | Child Well-Being, Foster Care, Immigrant Youth, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

A Vision Forward: Policies Needed to Protect the Best Interests of ‘Category 4′ Unaccompanied Immigrant Children

Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Clinic, Columbus School of Law, the Catholic University of America; Migration & Refugee Services, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (June 2021)

This report details the findings from a survey of long-term foster care (LTFC) and unaccompanied refugee minor (URM) program providers and highlights how the federal system departs from core child welfare principles. It also offers policy recommendations to better protect the interests of these vulnerable children.

Strengthening Services for Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Language Issues, Research Highlight, Trauma, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Strengthening Services for Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities

Mark Greenberg, Kylie Grow, Stephanie Heredia, Kira Monin and Essey Workie; Migration Policy Institute (June 2021)

This report reviews federal post-release services for unaccompanied minors and highlights ongoing gaps in meeting these children’s needs. It also provides recommendations for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), state and local governments, and community providers in order to improve outcomes for unaccompanied minors.

Pushed Into Harm’s Way: Forced Returns of Unaccompanied Migrant Children to Danger by the USA and Mexico

By | Child Well-Being, Deportation, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Enforcement, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Pushed Into Harm’s Way: Forced Returns of Unaccompanied Migrant Children to Danger by the USA and Mexico

Amnesty International (June 11, 2021)

This report details the deportations of thousands of unaccompanied minors by both the USA and Mexico without sufficient screenings for the danger and harm these children may encounter, and offers recommendation to both nation’s government to address these issues.

Rapid Evidence Assessment: What Works to Protect Children on the Move

By | Child Well-Being, Highlighted Resources, Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight, Social Work, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Rapid Evidence Assessment: What Works to Protect Children on the Move 

UNHCR (July 2020) 

In response to the evidence gap surrounding what does and does not work for migrant and displaced children “on the move” and by reviewing relevant literature, this assessment seeks to answer three questions – what interventions have proven most effective in protecting children, what factors of implementation make these interventions effective or ineffective, and what systems of child protection and social welfare make them effective? 

Care Provider Facilities Described Challenges Addressing Mental Health Needs of Children in HHS Custody

By | Child Well-Being, Family Separation, Highlighted Resources, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Enforcement, Research, Research Highlight, Trauma, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Care Provider Facilities Described Challenges Addressing Mental Health Needs of Children in HHS Custody

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (September 2019)

A report released by the Office of the Inspector General confirmed that intense trauma was common among children who entered the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) facilities in 2018 including those who were suddenly separated from their parents.

Children as Bait: Impacts of the ORR-DHS Information-Sharing Agreement

By | Immigrant Youth, Legal/Law, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Children as Bait: Impacts of the ORR-DHS Information-Sharing Agreement

Women’s Refugee Commission, National Immigrant Justice Center, Washington College of Law (March 26, 2019)

This report reviews the potential impacts of the new Memorandum of Agreement between the HHS and DHS to share information about unaccompanied children in government custody and their prospective sponsors. The report evaluates findings from a survey of individuals involved in the sponsorship application and vetting processes—including attorneys, biometrics technicians and fingerprint specialists, and child advocates—in order to better understand and document the full range of implications of this new MOA.

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