Home Study and Post-Release Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children
This grant supports safe placement and ongoing support for unaccompanied immigrant children by funding home studies and post-release services through the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Funder: Administration for Children and Families - ORR
Due Dates: October 1, 2026 (FY27 applications) | October 1, 2027 (FY28 applications)
Funding Amounts: $1 million–$100 million for the first one-year budget period; planned five-year projects; $555 million total funding
Summary: Supports nationwide home studies and post-release services to promote unaccompanied children’s safety, family reunification, and community integration.
Key Information: Providers must deliver nationwide services through at least four regional offices in different states or remote staff across eight regions.
Description
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), within the Administration for Children and Families, funds organizations to assess potential sponsors and support unaccompanied children after release from ORR custody. The Home Study and Post-Release Services Program serves children under 18 who lack lawful immigration status and an available parent or legal guardian in the United States. Its goals are safe placements, child well-being, family stability, and successful community integration while immigration proceedings continue.
Home studies include sponsor interviews, home visits, safety assessments, and written recommendations. Post-release services provide three levels of support: virtual check-ins, case management, and intensive in-home engagements. Providers must offer all three levels, using trauma-informed, culturally responsive services accessible regardless of language, reading ability, or disability, including in high-need and remote locations.
