Good Afternoon Children’s Services Network,
As a follow-up to the message sent yesterday regarding Afghan children, we have received updated guidance from ORR through the Dear Colleague Letter linked above.
ORR further shared:
Per the Dear Colleague Letter that was just issued by the ORR Director this morning (attached), Afghan minors who have humanitarian parole are not eligible for the URM Program. Unaccompanied Afghan minors arriving to the U.S. may be transferred from CBP to ORR custody and placed in the UC program for temporary care while reunification with family is pursued. While not currently eligible for the URM, it is quite possible that these unaccompanied Afghan minors may become eligible for URM in the future (e.g., if granted asylum, if ORR is provided authority to serve humanitarian parolees). Therefore, we would like states operating URM programs, in collaboration with your URM providers, to begin preparing to place and serve this caseload. This includes but is not limited to: outreach to local Afghan community, ramp up foster family recruitment efforts, work to expedite foster care licensing of families, outreach to schools, and secure interpretation resources.
Information regarding the number of children and demographic details are not known at this time. We will continue to share information as it becomes available. We are also here to support programs in receiving these youth. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to your designated Children’s Services Specialist.
In Solidarity,
Lindsay
Lindsay K. Shah (Stepp)
Director, Children’s Services
Migration and Refugee Services, USCCB
(202) 541-3353
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Additionally, please find the following note about Afghan Children that was released on Wednesday, August 26th:
Greetings Children’s Services Network,
We continue to keep our eyes on the devastating news coming out of Afghanistan. Our hearts go out to the children, families, and individuals attempting to flee to safety at this time. We are monitoring the situation closely to get a better understanding of how the influx of Afghan arrivals will affect our Children’s Services network.
We understand from our federal colleagues that separated children have been identified among the Afghan arrivals. Information is changing rapidly, but so far we have not seen any Afghan arrivals in ORR intakes in the UC Portal. We anticipate that many of these youth will come with parolee status and we have come to understand that ORR will be accepting referrals of Afghan unaccompanied children with parole status into the UC program. Depending on the number of arrivals, it is possible and even likely that Foster Care and Family Reunification programs will see some of these youth. We are working to confirm implications for URM, but anticipate that it will be some time before URM programs see any of these youth given the natural flow of the referral process.
We will continue to keep you updated as we receive information and would truly appreciate any information from your end as well. Please let your designated USCCB/MRS contact (e.g., Children’s Services Specialist) and/or me know what you are seeing and hearing in your communities – and if there are particular resources or supports you need to serve this population.
We are grateful for all that you do and appreciate your partnership in this life-saving work!
In Solidarity,
Lindsay
Lindsay K. Shah (Stepp)
Director, Children’s Services
Migration and Refugee Services, USCCB
(202) 541-3353
"Creating a world where immigrants, refugees, migrants, and people on the move are treated with dignity, respect, welcome, and belonging."
