Unaccompanied Children/HSPRS

Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children seek refuge in the United States each year. Most are from El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras. These children are released from Office of Refugee Resettlement custody into the care of a sponsor. Mostly (85%) join a relative or friend already living in the United States. It is often a tough transition as they adjust to new communities, cultures, languages and family units. Each child has mental health, safety, education and legal needs that must be met.

That’s where CWS and our network of offices come in. In our Home Study and Post Release Services program, our CWS team works with these children and their sponsors to create an action plan. They set goals like finishing school, obtaining a legal immigration status or connecting to other community support systems. Then we check in with the child and their sponsors at least once a month to make sure the child is safe and making progress.