 State Letter #02-23
TO: STATE REFUGEE COORDINATORS
NATIONAL VOLUNTARY AGENCIES
OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
FROM: Nguyen Van Hanh, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Refugee Resettlement
SUBJECT: Continuation of the Matching Grant December 2001 Agreement During Calendar Year 2002
On Tuesday, July 2, 2002, I responded to a letter from the Refugee Council USA (RECUSA) requesting a continuation of the "50% Solution" (draw down agreement) of last December for the Matching Grant Program for calendar year (CY) 2002 as a result of the low number of refugee arrivals this year.
My decision of July 2 is to continue until December 31, 2002, the draw down agreement reached last December for the Matching Grant agencies. Specifically, Matching Grant agencies will be allowed to draw down up to $1,000 per capita in ORR funds, for any shortfall in enrollments resulting in unfilled client slots during CY 2002, up to the ORR-approved projected enrollment figure per Matching Grant agency.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) response to RECUSA's request is targeted towards sustaining the Matching Grant service provider infrastructure, and providing added services and goods to needy MG participants, while maintaining the integrity of the program. The Matching Grant is an extremely successful early employment program in which approximately 80% of the cases are self-sufficient by the 120th day. In CY 2001, the Matching Grant enrolled 27,000 refugees asylees, and Cuban and Haitian entrants.
The letter to RECUSA communicating the terms of the draw down agreement is attached. I am sharing this information with the refugee resettlement network so that all stakeholders will be aware of ORR's efforts to assist our partners in resettlement in maintaining a level of service infrastructure to meet current and anticipated arrivals.
If you have any questions regarding the Matching Grant letter, please contact Ron Munia, Matching Grant Team Leader at (202) 401-4559 or by e-mail at: rmunia@acf.hhs.gov.
Enclosure