Doing the Work: Be Kind, Help Others
Unaccompanied children (UCs) are minors who arrive in the United States without a parent or legal guardian and who do not hold legal immigration status. 2021 saw a record number of these children come into the US after putting off immigration attempts during 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Most of these children are trying to reunite with family that already lives in the US and some are displaced by war, violence, economic collapse, and/or climate change. Whatever the reason, these are children whose lives are in danger. These are children in need of help.
The Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) foster care program is a network of specialized foster care agencies that possess expertise to provide care and social work to foreign born children and youth. This network first began serving foreign born children in 1980 as a non-partisan program that recognized that helping our children was a calling beyond political posturing.
The URM foster care program includes a comprehensive set of services and financial supports designed to assist youth through their transition process to the United States. These services provide for them while they obtain an education and prepare them for eventual independence as new US citizens. These services are specially geared towards the needs of foreign-born youth, with a focus on blending their cultural identity with their new American environment. The particular services provided include: indirect financial support through the provision of housing, food, clothing and other necessities; educational supports; health, mental health and legal services; intensive case management; cultural and recreation activities; mentoring and life skills training. Foster families play an important role in this process and are in short supply.
While still relying heavily on religious organizations, this program has increased its outreach to other types of families and caring persons for help. LGBTQ families, single persons, and those with no religious affiliation are now encouraged to apply for foster accreditation. You just need the drive and desire to help, protect, and nurture children in need.
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