Children's Services

• Since 1980, more than 13,000 children have been cared for by  the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) foster care network
• In 2009 and 2010, over 500 children were released to family members in more than 60 cities and provided follow-up services through the Safe Passages Program

Who We Serve

Unaccompanied Refugee and Migrant Children are among the most vulnerable people on earth.  Refugee children who have lost their families through war, violence, or other causes are often forgotten when they arrive in refugee camps, alone, scared and, at times, abused and exploited.  Another vulnerable population is the children traveling alone to the United States without legal status.  Upon entering the country without documentation, they often are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and placed in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.   These children must face alone the uncertainties of being held in the custody of the U.S. government and awaiting their case determination or reunification with family.

What We Do

USCCB/MRS is a leader among non-governmental agencies in addressing the needs of children forced to flee their homes, and others caught up in the migration phenomenon in the United States.  Working with a broad network of Catholic and other agencies, MRS assists refugee and undocumented children who have been separated from adult relatives in:

• Safely joining their families once in the United States and providing post release follow-up services in their communities through our Safe Passages Program.

• Placing children in foster homes or other community-based placements through the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) program.

What You Can Do

• Become a foster parent at one of our 12 Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) foster care programs! 

• Social Service providers can conduct home studies, follow-up or counseling services for unaccompanied, undocumented youth! 

• Contact Children’s Services to learn more about these opportunities.