Audit of Office of Refugee Resettlement's Placement and Transfer of Children in the Unaccompanied Alien Children Program

The Unaccompanied Alien Children Program, managed by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), provides temporary shelter, care, and other related services to unaccompanied children. ORR funds a network of approximately 170 state-licensed care provider facilities for children in its custody. The ORR Guide: Children Entering the United States Unaccompanied details the policies for initial placement of children in and transfer between ORR care provider facilities. ORR must make every effort to place and keep each child in the least restrictive setting available that is in the child's best interest. Our objective will be to determine whether ORR followed its policies, procedures, and guidance both when making initial placements in care provider facilities funded by ORR and when transferring children between those facilities. We will also determine how frequently children are transferred between care provider facilities, the reason for transfers and denials of transfers, and any challenges that care provider facilities face when children are identified as requiring a transfer.

Announced or Revised	Agency	Title	Component	Report Number(s)	Expected Issue Date (FY)
Completed	Administration for Children and Families	Audit of Office of Refugee Resettlement's Placement and Transfer of Children in the Unaccompanied Alien Children Program	Office of Audit Services	W-00-20-20002; A-06-20-07002	2023