Secure Funding for Child Welfare Services

The Office of Refugee Resettlement/Division of Unaccompanied Children Operations (ORR/DUCO), within the Administration for Children and Families, provides temporary shelter care and other child care services to unaccompanied alien children (UAC) in ORR custody. Residential care services begin once ORR accepts a UAC for placement and ends when the minor is released from ORR custody. Residential care and other child care services are provided by State-licensed residential care programs in the least restrictive setting appropriate for the UAC’s age and special needs. ORR is announcing this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for therapeutic residential care providers including but not limited to: psychiatric treatment facilities; therapeutic shelter /group home services specializing in the care of children with conduct and behavioral issues.

Residential care providers operating therapeutic residential facilities are required to be licensed as a therapeutic treatment facility in the State in which they are located and are required to also be accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) or an equivalent accreditation agency, if providing psychiatric treatment services. Therapeutic residential facilities are required to provide services in a highly structured clinical program and have the ability to provide services to UAC with various mental health needs.All entities, funded under this FOA, must also comply with the Flores Settlement Agreement, the Perez-Olano Settlement Agreement, Case No. CV05-3604 (C.D. Cal., Dec.

14, 2010), pertinent regulations, laws, and ORR policies, instructions, and procedures. ORR encourages applicants to review ORR's policies at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/children-entering-the-united-states-unaccompanied as these will be critical to the overall program design.