Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
USCCB/MRS is one of two agencies authorized by the Department of State to help refugee children who enter the U.S. without a legal guardian.
Learn about Foster Care for unaccompanied immigrant and refugee minors!
"Creating a world where immigrants, refugees, migrants, and people on the move are treated with dignity, respect, welcome, and belonging."
Who We Are
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops department of Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) is the largest refugee resettlement agency in the world, and is one of two agencies authorized by the U.S. Department of State to resettle unaccompanied refugee children. MRS serves as a leader in the protection of unaccompanied, refugee, and immigrant children by providing family reunification and foster care services. MRS has served unaccompanied children through culturally-appropriate programs nationwide since 1980.
What We Do
Specializing in the intersection between migration and child welfare, MRS/Children's Services provides operational and consultative services. Our national staff provides the following services:
- Rapid response to identify children in mixed migration context who are in need of protection, recommend durable solutions, and build the capacity of local country governments and partner agencies
- Administer direct service programs throughout the U.S. and its territories for refugee and immigrant children and families
- Build capacity and improve service delivery of our national provider network through consultation, technical assistance, training, and monitoring
- Facilitate peer exchanges of recognized experts in the field on key issues
- Publish white papers, toolkits, and resource guides addressing key issues for migrating youth and families
Programs
Visit our program pages below to learn more about what we do.
Foster Care for Unaccompanied Children
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS)
Make a Donation
Help our Unaccompanied Refugee and Migrant Children programs by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Unaccompanied Children's Fund by downloading and returning the donation form. Please contact @email for additional questions on making a contribution to MRS.
MRSConnect
MRSConnect is for diocesan staff working in partnership with USCCB/MRS to provide services to refugees and migrants and others on the move. It provides program-specific information, resources, and trainings as well as broader resources to support this ministry. Login here. For questions, please email @email.
Resources
FAQ: Preventing Trafficking and Abuse of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
For more information and backgrounders on unaccompanied children, please visit the Justice for Immigrants website.