Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program - Approved

• The Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) program provides culturally and linguistically appropriate child welfare, foster care, and independent living services to youth who do not have parents in the United States (U.S.), or who enter the U.S. unaccompanied by a parent, an immediate adult relative, or an adult having document-able legal evidence of custody of the minor. Refugee children who enter the U.S. with family, but later experience a family breakdown may be eligible for the URM program. Please note: The state administered URM program differs from the federally administered Unaccompanied Children (UC) program, operated through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
• • Owner
    Sun Wee Yun
  • Created On
    05-08-2024
  • Updated On
    06-07-2024
  • Update Reminder
    04-01-2025

• How To Contact

  • Name
    Office of Immigrant Youth
  • Phone
    (916) 654-4356
  • Fax
    N/A
  • Email
    urm@dss.ca.gov
  • Address
    P.O. Box 944243, MS 9-6-646
  • City
    Sacramento
  • State
    CA

• More Information

  • Start Date
    05-08-2024
  • Expiration Date
    05-08-2025
  • Eligibility
    free
  • Fee
    0.00
  • Organization
    California Department of Social Services
  • Zip Code
    94244

• Helpful Links

  • Main Program URL
    https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/refugees/subprograms-and-info/urm

• Detailed Information

  • Welcoming Unaccompanied Afghan Children

    Populations served by the URM program:
    

    - Refugees

    - Cuban/Haitian entrants

    - Asylees

    - Victims of human trafficking who have an ORR eligibility letter

    - Non-citizen victims of domestic violence and other serious crimes who have been granted a U-Visa from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and meet all other eligibility requirements, or

    - Minors who have received Special Immigrant Juvenile Status while in ORR’s custody.

    
    

    Two lead resettlement agencies, the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), assist ORR and identify eligible children; determine appropriate placements; and conduct training, research and technical assistance.

    
    

    Since April 2004, the California Department of Social Services has administered the California URM program, contracting with three URM service providers:

    - Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, a USCCB affiliate based in San Jose;

    - Crittenton Services for Children and Families, a LIRS affiliate based in Fullerton, Orange County, and;

    - International Christian Adoptions, a LIRS affiliate based in Citrus Heights, Sacramento County.

    These agencies place URM youth in the above counties and surrounding regions.

    
    

    Under Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 400.112[a], states are mandated to provide foster care and child welfare services to URMs that are equivalent to those provided to mainstream foster youth.  Additionally, states must provide child welfare services to URMs according to the state’s child welfare standards, practices and procedures. 

    Below are links to detailed information about the URM program. If you have questions regarding the URM program, please contact the RPB at (916) 654-4356 or URM@dss.ca.gov.  

• Eligibility Information

  • States
    • CA
  • Counties
  • Cities
  • Zipcodes
  • School Districts
  • Age Groups
    • Children 0-18 years old
  • Languages Served
    • English
    • Spanish
    • Arabic
  • Family Incomes
  • Insurance Providers

• Files