General
From Identification to Durable Solution: Analysis of the Resettlement of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors to the U.S. and Recommendations for Best Interest Determinations (2011)
From Identification to Durable Solution: Analysis of the Resettlement of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors to the U.S. and Recommendations for Best Interest Determinations, USCCB Migration and Refugee Services, July 2011
Authors: Margaret MacDonnell, Child Welfare Consultant for USCCB/MRS and Nathalie Lummert, Associate Director for Children’s Services
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) is the largest non‐government refugee resettlement voluntary agency in the world. Each year USCCB/MRS works with over 100 local refugee resettlement and refugee foster care programs nationally to resettle approximately 20,000 refugees, and to provide reception and integration services to other displaced populations including victims of trafficking, grantees of asylum, and undocumented children and families.
A particular focus of USCCB/MRS in both policy and program development is the protection needs of unaccompanied and separated displaced and refugee children. USCCB/MRS is one of two agencies (along with the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services) authorized by the U.S. Department of State to resettle unaccompanied minors into Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) programs throughout the United States. USCCB/MRS provides to resettlement programs monitoring for compliance and quality assurance, national case placement coordination, technical assistance and training, program analysis, and capacity building assistance.