Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
The Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program provides care for federally referred children and youth who arrive in the United States without a parent or guardian. The program places minors in foster care with specially trained local families and provides culturally and linguistically appropriate social services including:
- Assisting the minors to access services for education, health and well-being.
- Facilitating adjustment to life in the United States as well as cultural preservation.
- Preparing youth to live independently as adults.
Services
Interested in becoming a Refugee Foster Parent?
Please contact one of our URM Providers below.
DSHS provides unaccompanied refugee minors with the same range of child welfare benefits and services available to other children in Washington, including:
- Foster care maintenance payments (room, board and clothing).
- Medical assistance.
- Extended Foster Care.
- Educational Training Vouchers.
Eligibility
Individuals may be eligible for the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program if they are:
- Unaccompanied children and youth under 18 years old.
- Eligible for child welfare services (referred by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement).
- Without a close adult relative willing and able to care for the child, or an adult with a clear and court-verifiable claim to custody.
- Without parent(s) in the United States.
- Have an immigration status that makes them eligible for federally funded refugee services from the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement. For more information about ORR eligibility, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Service Providers
View a list of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program service providers on our interactive resource tool.