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Family and Youth Services Bureau skip to primary page contentAssociate Commissioner Karen Morison

Office of Refugee Resettlement

On March 1, 2003, the Unaccompanied Alien Children's (UAC) care and placement program was transferred from the Immigration and Naturalization (INS) Commissioner to the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in accordance with section 462 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

Among other requirements, the ORR Director is responsible for:

  • Coordinating and implementing the care and placement of unaccompanied alien children who are in Federal custody by reason of their immigration status;
  • Making and implementing placement determinations; overseeing the infrastructure and personnel of facilities in which unaccompanied alien children reside;
  • Reuniting children with guardians and/ or sponsors, when appropriate;
  • Conducting investigations and inspections of facilities and other entities in which unaccompanied alien children reside.

FYSB works with the Office of Refugee Resettlement at times to assist in providing a safe and appropriate environment for minors during the interim period between the minor's transfer into an Unaccompanied Alien Children's (UAC) program and the minor's release from custody by the ORR or removal from the United States by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

FYSB and ORR collaborate to ensure that unaccompanied youth are not kept in holding facilities when ORR’s facilities become full. In those cases, FYSB helps to place unaccompanied alien minors in nearby Runaway and Homeless Youth shelters currently funded by the Bureau.

Within ORR, UAC is located in the Division of Unaccompanied Children Services (DUCS). To learn more about the Unaccompanied Alien Children Program, including specific services offered and who is eligible to apply for a grant, visit the program Web site at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/unaccompanied_alien_children.htm.