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Learn how you can help Karen, Karenni, and Chin families and children as they resettle in America.
Inside this Article:
1. Introduction
2. How You Can Help
3. Where are the Refugees Coming?
4. Understanding the Process
5. Resettlement Agency Contacts
6. Important Note
7. FAQs
8. State Resettlement Links Introduction
The freedom they have long struggled for may soon be realized by thousands of persecuted Christian Karen and Karenni refugees from Burma who have been living in camps along the Thailand/Burma border. Many of these courageous, mostly Christian refugees are scheduled for resettlement in the United States, or other free nations. Christian Freedom International welcomes this news. For years CFI has been urging the U.S. government, Thailand, and the U.N. to allow the resettlement of these refugees from Burma. CFI has launched petition drives, sponsored U.S. Congressional staff delegations to the region, had conferences with U.S. Department of State officials and met with First Lady Laura Bush in an effort to gain support for the new policy that is being implemented. Please keep in mind that in addition to Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM), there will be entire families and groups of refugees who wish to remain together who will be arriving in the United States. Because of the large numbers of these refugees being resettled the need for support will be overwhelming, both for the agencies who have been designated by the U.S. Department of State to manage this effort, and for those of us who choose to help. Refugee Families and Groups who are together will be handled by the refugee resettlement office within the state to which they are sent. There also may be multiple offices in some states. If your state does NOT have a program for URM children, there is still a great need to help families and individuals by volunteering to help these refugees become oriented and settled into life here in the United States. CFI is working on ways to coordinate support from those in States that do not have a resettlement program and will provide notification as information is available. Back to Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How You Can Help
We encourage our donors to find out if there are any Karen resettling in your area. If there are, we recommend that you try to find ways that you can support and help them. - Suggestions of how to help Karen refugees
- Employers: Make jobs available.
- Donate clothing, household goods, and other necessities.
- Have your church reach out to them and draw them in.
- Assist them with trips to the doctor or dentist.
- Help them with English tutoring.
- Encourage them and be a friend to them.
- Locate the local agency that is assisting them and find out how you can help.
Back to Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where are the Refugees Coming?
Partial list subject to change. - Oregon
- Kentucky
- Texas
- New York
- California
- San Diego, California
- Pennsylvania
- Indiana
- North Carolina
- Hagerstown, Maryland
- Richmond, Virginia
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
- Arizona
Back to Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Understanding the Process
Processes and Players for the Resettlement of Karen Unaccompanied Refugee Minors and Families
"Under an agreement between the Royal Thai government and the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), and UNHCR, any registered Mae La camp resident can now apply for resettlement in the U.S." - The Royal Thai Government has agreed that the following Refugee Camps may be resettled as stated above in their agreement with the U.S. Department of State. (Tham Hin and Maela Refugee Camps previously have been approved. Umpium and Noh Poh were recently approved). All UNHCR recommendations for resettlement must be approved by the Royal Thai Government.
- The U.S. Department of State (DOS) contracts with UNHCR to conduct interviews on their behalf for the purpose of: Approving families for resettlement to the U.S. if they so desire after they have applied.
Providing a Best Interest Determination for each child with no parent or guardian. (referred to as a BID by Government officials). ***This is the first and most important step toward a child becoming eligible for the U.S. URM program. - International Rescue Committee (IRC) interviews them. ( U.S. government’s designated Overseas Processing Entity -OPE)
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS) accepts or rejects their application.
- International Office for Migration (IOM) provides medical screening and a 3 to 5 day cultural orientation course before arranging for their travel to their destinations in the U.S. if their application is approved.
- U.S. Department of State coordinates the welcome and the first 30 days of the refuges’ arrival to the U.S with the assistance of the Voluntary Agencies (VOLAGS) referred to in the following point.
- VOLAGS meet them at the airport, equip their living accommodations, and help them get started.
- U.S. Department of State contracts with 360 Voluntary Organizations
(VOLAGS) in nearly every state to assist with the resettlement of refugees. - The two largest Voluntary Organizations are:
The United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Migration & Refugee Service
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) - The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services, funds the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services to provide the direct management, oversight, and coordination for the resettlement of families as well as the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor foster care program. There are currently 18 Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Foster care programs in the 11 states and the District of Columbia. (See Separate List of State URM contacts).
- According the ORR, if the number of URMs increases significantly, which is likely, they will be considering other locations to expand the URM programs to.
- U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops & Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services coordinate with ORR to determine the best location for refugees to be resettled based on demographics, already settled communities, and program capacity.
- After the (refugee families’) first 30 days with the VOLAGS (Voluntary Resettlement Agencies) contracted to handle this segment, they are monitored and assisted by other VOLAGS who handle the process of helping them find employment, care for medical needs, and enroll children in school, etc
- Families with children are eligible for assistance longer that those without children. (See the above website).
- Children who come in as Unaccompanied Refugee Minors are processed through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to either USCCB or LIRS. Together they evaluate which state programs have the capacity, funding, and ability to assist the children with their resettlement process.
- When the children reach the state URM foster care agency, the agency will place them with either an approved foster care family, a group home, or to a semi independent living arrangement if they are old enough.
- The URM foster care programs must be licensed by the state or county in which they operate, however they are funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
- Currently, placing an Unaccompanied Refugee Minor in a state without a URM foster care program has not been allowed. However, according to the guidelines for reclassification, there has been some precedent for keeping a child in a local state funded foster care program if it is in their best interest not to be moved.
- Foster care families and the URM placed with them are monitored frequently for a period of time. If the arrangement is working out for both, the goal is for it to become a permanent foster care arrangement with continued but less frequent monitoring from the foster care agency.
This overview has been written to help those interested in helping both families resettling and Unaccompanied Refugee Minors gain a better understanding of the process and many players involved with this program. Sources
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops-Migration and Refugee Services-Children’s Services:
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service-Children’s Services:
Office of Refugee Resettlement-Health & Human Services, Administration of Children & Families:
International Office for Migration (IOM)-Thailand 5/22/2007 press release.
U.S. Department of State
Back to Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Resettlement Agency Contacts
National State Local Resettlement Affiliates (VOLAGS)
A VOLAG is a Voluntary Agency who assists with the resettlement of refugees. There are 3 to 4 large private agencies that coordinate the resettlement of refugees with the assistance of government grants. The following is a list of them, their websites and the links to their local affiliates. There is some overlap among them. If you find that the contact numbers or links posted on our website are not current, please e-mail the corrections to
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Back to Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Important Note
The US Government only places Unaccompanied Children in States that have an Unaccompanied Minor Foster Care Program. If there is no program in your state, you will not be able to participate.
You must call your state program to see if your area is close enough for them to service the children with their caseworkers. They determine how far they will travel.
CFI serves only as an information resource. The government does not contract with us to resettle families and children. The need for churches and individuals to be involved with sponsoring and encourgaging arriving Karen, Karenni, and Chin Refugees is great. More than 10,000 will have been settled here by the end of October. Back to Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about the URM Program
Who are "unaccompanied refugee minors"?
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) defines unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) as children who are separated from both parents and are not being cared for by an adult who, by law or custom, is responsible to do so. In resettlement terms, URMs are children under age 18 who are resettled alone in the United States, without a parent or relative able to care for them. Children can also become unaccompanied after arrival in the United States if a parent or caregiver can no longer care for a child once they are in the United States. Who is eligible for the refugee foster care programs?
Six types of refugee youth are eligible for refugee foster care:
Unaccompanied refugee minors—These are refugee children who enter the United States prior to their 18th birthday, without a parent or appropriate caregiver to provide for them. These minors enter the United States with refugee status and are placed directly into foster care at the time of arrival.
Family breakdown cases-These are minors who enter with, or come to the United States to join an adult relative. Sometimes these care arrangements do not work out, or are not appropriate, and a refugee minor becomes neglected, abandoned, abused or destitute sometime after entering the United States A few examples are listed below.
Relative caregiver is unable or unwilling to continue providing for the minor: In some situations, relatives may be overwhelmed by their own adjustment experience, and may be unable to meet the needs of a minor, or a single mother may have biological children of her own and thus be unable to care for her additional niece and nephew. In other situations, a relative may be unwilling to continue caring for a minor who is not their own child, leaving a child at risk for abandonment or homelessness. This is sometimes the case when there is conflict between a teenager and a non-parental relative caregiver.
Secondary migration: Sometimes relatives decide to move to another city or state, without making new care arrangements for a minor in their care. This has sometimes been the case with adult siblings caring for younger siblings, where the adult sibling decides to take off on his/her own. In other cases, adolescents have decided to try making it on their own, unaware of how difficult that can be.
Abuse: In some cases, a minor may be mistreated by his/her relatives and may need to be removed from the home. Some minors can be returned to the home under supervision, others require long-term foster care.
Inaccurate relationships: Some minors are listed as having a certain relationship with their adult caregivers that later turn out to be erroneous (e.g., a "daughter" who turns out to be a sister-in-law, or a child who was fostered in the refugee camp and was listed as a biological child on the bio-data). In some cases this was an error made on the case referral information or a cultural difference in how relationships are described, in other cases it may be a fraudulent relationship (which agencies are required to report to the State Department). These cases may put a minor at risk if not monitored, or the adult caregiver may never have intended to be the guardian for the child.
Asylee minors: Unaccompanied minors who are granted asylum in the United States and have no family to care for them are also eligible for refugee foster care. These include minors granted asylum by an Immigration Judge, as well as minors granted asylum through a U.S. asylum office.
Cuban/Haitian Entrants and Amerasians: Unaccompanied minors who enter the U.S. with the immigration status of "Entrant" or "Amerasian" are also eligible for the refugee foster care program.
Trafficked minors: Unaccompanied minors who are deemed victims of a severe form of trafficking are also eligible for the refugee foster care program. How long are children eligible for refugee foster care?
Minors must enter refugee foster care prior to their 18th birthday. Once in care, refugee youth can remain in a foster care program until the age of 20 or 21 (depending on particular state child welfare guidelines.) After age 18, continued participation in the program is voluntary. What services are available through the refugee foster care programs?
Refugee foster care includes a comprehensive set of services and financial supports, designed to assist with a youth’s resettlement adjustment, provide for a youth while obtaining an education, and prepare each youth for eventual independence. These services are specially geared towards the needs of refugee youth, with a focus on acculturation and integration. More specifically, these services include: indirect financial support providing for housing, food, clothing, and other necessities; schooling and educational supports; health, mental health and legal services; intensive case management; cultural and recreation activities; mentoring and life skills training; etc.
How are these programs like or unlike domestic foster care programs, and how are they funded and monitored?
Refugee foster care programs follow the same state or county laws and regulations that govern domestic foster care. Refugee youth are eligible for all of the same services for which an American youth would be eligible. However, refugee foster care programs are separate from domestic foster care programs in that they have been developed by agencies with expertise in working with foreign-born children. Foster families are oriented towards the particular needs of refugee and immigrant youth. Social work staff assist with special services which may be needed by these youth (e.g., ESL or other special educational needs; cultural identity and adjustment; family tracing; refugee trauma; etc.)
Refugee foster care programs are funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, via state refugee coordinator offices. All foster care programs are licensed and monitored regularly by their state child welfare authority. Foster families must go through a background clearance and licensing process. In addition, LIRS and USCCB provide quality control and serve as an on-going resource for these programs. What kind of foster family, or other care arrangements, will be provided to minors?
These programs use families from varied backgrounds to foster refugee youth. Programs recruit families from the same ethnic communities represented by minors in their care. Such placements are a priority for younger children. Native-born foster families are also a strong resource for this program, with many families who have fostered children from various ethnic backgrounds and become familiar with the needs of refugee youth. In addition, programs recruit immigrant families from varied ethnic origins, who personally understand the refugee adjustment, even if not from the same ethnic perspective.
In addition to foster care, programs use a mix of supervised, semi-independent and independent living arrangements. These services are available to older youths (generally 17 and older), and allow them to live with other youths in semi-autonomous arrangements, while they receive training and intensive case management assistance in learning the life skills they will need to live independently. Some programs also utilize group homes or group foster care homes. In a few specialized circumstances, programs have been able to access residential treatment services for youth who are severely traumatized or who have special needs. How do these children respond to foster care?
Like children everywhere, refugee children yearn for love, security and the chance to learn. Unfortunately, many of these children have been deprived of one or all of these things. Many children have been forced to grow up too quickly, due to the circumstances of war and hardship. Consequently, they value a second chance at childhood and newfound stability. How do refugee children fare in the American educational system?
Most refugee children have missed years of schooling due to the disruptions of war. Although they lag behind their American peers, they are generally very motivated to learn. The absence of educational opportunities often increases their appreciation of schooling once it is available again. Refugee foster care programs are experienced in the educational needs of refugee children, and social work staff help each child access the special services they need in order to learn in the United States. Who can become a foster parent?
Refugee foster care programs seek foster parents through local churches, mosques or other houses of worship; community or civic organizations; Mutual Assistance Associations or other refugee collectives; or word of mouth from other foster parents. These programs seek caring and committed foster parents, and always welcome foster parent inquiries. Persons interested in learning more about refugee foster parenting should contact LIRS (410/230-2700) or USCCB (202/541-3000). Are unaccompanied refugee minors ever reunified with their families?
Although refugee minors are generally long-term foster placements, programs continue family tracing where possible. A number of minors have ultimately been able to reunify with family either in the United States or in their country of origin. Like children in domestic foster care, family reunification is always a goal where feasible and in the child’s best interest. Are refugee children available for adoption?
In accordance with standards of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and to leave open the possibility of family reunification, refugee children are not available for adoption. The above information is from the LIRS website Back to Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . State Resettlement Links
State URM Contacts
There are currently 18 refugee foster care programs. They are in the following communities: Boston, MA
Mary Bartholomew-Lutheran Community Services of Southern New England
Phone: 508-852-3011
Email:
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Dallas, TX
Malcolm Johnson-Lutheran Social Services-Dallas
Phone: 972-919-1019
Email:
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or
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Fargo, ND
James Malula-Lutheran Social Services of ND
Phone: 701-235-7541
Email:
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Grand Rapids, MI
Dana Anderson-Bethany Christian Services-
Phone: 616-224-7541
Email:
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Houston TX
Michelle Mitchell-Catholic Charities of Houston
Phont: 713-874-6587
Email:
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Jackson MS
Debra West-Catholic Charities
Phone: 601-981-0219
Email:
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Lansing MI
Diane Baird-Lutheran Social Services of MI
Phone: 517-321-7663
Email:
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Miami, FL
Raul E. Hernandez- US Conference of Catholic Bishops-Miami
Phone: 305-541-8100
Email:
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Philadelphia, PA
Richard Gitlen-Lutheran Children & family Service of E. PA
Phone: 215-276-5500
Email:
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Phoenix, AZ
Fred Lugue-Unaccompanied Minor Program-Catholic
Social Service Phoenix
Phone: 602-944-1819
Email:
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Richmond, VA
Carrie Hartwell-Commonwealth Catholic Charities
Phone: 804-545-5918
Email:
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Rochester, NY
Anne Eichas-Catholic Family Center-Rochester
Phone: 585-262-7115
Email:
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San Jose, CA
Marilyn Lacey-Catholic Charities-San Jose
Phone: 408-325-5853
Email:
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Seattle, WA
Suzanne Large` Lutheran Community Services Northwest-Seattle
Phone: 206-694-5746
Email:
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Syracuse, NY
Judy D’Amore-Toomey Residential & Community Services
Phone: 315-424-1845
Email:
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Tacoma, WA
Bea Abbott-Catholic Community Services
Phone: 253-502-2767
Email:
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Washington, DC
Myranda Strickland-Lutheran Social Services of the National Area-DC
Phone: 202-723-3000
Email:
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