Supporting ORR’s UC Program

Original Publication Date: May 3, 2021
Last Updated: April 2, 2023
Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes

Dear Resettlement Agencies and Refugee Program Discretionary Grantees,

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has learned that there is a strong interest to support increasing provider participation in the Unaccompanied Children (UC) program. ORR is working diligently to expand our licensed bed capacity and other support resources, and we recognize that a lot of you have been fielding questions about this, or are interested in helping yourself, and we hope that the following information will be helpful to you. 

Below are categories and options for an organization to work with the ORR to expand licensed beds to care for and house children and youth based on individual circumstances (see attached fact sheet titled “Expanding Licensed UC Provider Beds Pathways TABLE FINAL” for specific service and responsibility requirements). 

We also have included information for businesses and organizations who are interested in providing other support resources that that UC providers need to be able to care for and house children and youth (e.g., buildings, bi-lingual staff, licensed childcare workers, staff who can perform case management). Please feel free to share this information broadly with your constituents, networks and other interested stakeholders.

To best address many of the questions we have been receiving, we will also be starting a weekly open call for any non-UC organizations and providers interested in learning about the opportunity and how to become engaged. Stay tuned for more details this week on the specific information for joining the call.  

If you are a provider interested in supporting the UC program please fill out this survey, which will prompt you to share information about your organization’s resources and ability to meet the present needs to support the effort to expand licensed beds for unaccompanied children. The survey will help you understand the best path or option for considering if this is a fit for your organization’s capabilities, resources, and interests. Additional details for possible paths are below.

Interested Provider Survey: https://orrresponse.force.com/s/(link is external)

If you have questions, please direct them to the Office of Refugee Resettlement Unaccompanied Children Program at [email protected](link sends e-mail).

1) Provider organizations that have an active state license for shelter care of children/youth and have adequate staff capacity, including fluent Spanish speaking staff, have two options based on desired nature of grantee relationship (Option A or B), OR a city, county or state government (Option A):

Option A: Become a direct ORR grantee or short-term contractor (for organizations or city, county, or state governments)

Interested eligible providers review and submit corresponding materials based on best fit for the applying organization:

Submit a single source application based on the attached guidance materials.

Please submit your application along with the required forms listed in the attachment to Peter Thompson, Director of the Office of Grants Policy, at [email protected](link sends e-mail), with a  copy to [email protected](link sends e-mail) and [email protected](link sends e-mail). The required forms are available at https://www.grants.gov(link is external). Please download, fill out, and return the required forms along with your application.

Submit a contract response using materials provided in the ORR-UC-Shelter and Foster care services(link is external) contract response.

Option B: Contract with a current UC direct grantee provider as a subrecipient

For licensed providers interested in a shorter-term relationship with ORR through a subrecipient relationship with a current UC provider, please use the link provided and complete the information requested. ORR will share the list of interested and eligible subrecipients with current unaccompanied children grantees who may reach out to develop a subrecipient relationship and submit a proposal to ORR.

Please complete Interested Provider Survey: https://orrresponse.force.com/s/(link is external)

2) Businesses, organizations, and associations with support resources that UC providers need to be able to care for and house children and youth (e.g., buildings, bi-lingual staff, licensed childcare workers, staff who can perform case management)

Please complete Interested Provider Survey: https://orrresponse.force.com/s/(link is external)

Option A: Providers with staffing and other resources, including staffing case management, licensed building

Staff and other resources may be considered for an ORR contract if viable and relevant to the needs. Please complete the information in the linked Interested Provider Survey: https://orrresponse.force.com/s/(link is external)

Option B: Respond to an open contracts solicitation

There are existing open contract solicitations for a key group of required services:

Providers may review the solicitation and apply directly to the opportunity.

Thank you for your interest and commitment to support the unaccompanied children effort.

Kindly,

ORR

Office of the Director

Points of Contact for UC Inquiries

Preview Application Package and Required Forms for Single Source Applications

Preview Unaccompanied_Children_Program_Fact_Sheet_4_9_2021

Preview Expanding Lisenced UC Provider Beds Pathways TABLE FINAL

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