Home Study and Post-Release Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Families and its Office of Refugee Resettlement, is forecasting a funding opportunity titled Home Study and Post-Release Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children. This program is part of the federal Unaccompanied Children Program and reflects the agency’s statutory responsibility to provide care and placement services for children under the age of 18 who enter the United States without lawful immigration status and without a parent or legal guardian available to provide care. ORR has established a system of services that ensures the safety, stability, and well-being of these children while their immigration cases proceed. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the provision of home study and post-release services that facilitate safe placement of children with vetted sponsors and provide continued support after release. Home studies involve comprehensive assessments of potential sponsors’ households to ensure that the environment is safe, appropriate, and capable of supporting the child’s needs. Post-release services are designed to help children adjust to their new living arrangements, access education and healthcare, integrate into their communities, and navigate legal processes related to immigration proceedings. Funding under this opportunity will support a wide range of service delivery activities, including case management, family support, monitoring of child welfare, coordination with legal service providers, and linkage to community-based resources. Awardees are expected to maintain compliance with ORR standards and protocols, including documentation requirements, safety monitoring procedures, and reporting expectations. While the funding announcement does not specify restricted uses in detail, all expenditures must align with programmatic goals centered on child safety, stability, and long-term well-being. Eligibility for this cooperative agreement is broad and includes state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, Native American tribal governments and organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, public housing authorities, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. Faith-based and community organizations are also eligible provided they meet all stated requirements. However, individuals and foreign entities are explicitly excluded. Current recipients of ORR funding must meet additional conditions related to project period timing or propose services in new locations if applying again. The application process is expected to require electronic submission through the designated federal grants portal, with a firm deadline of June 23, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Applicants must prepare comprehensive proposals detailing their service delivery model, organizational capacity, staffing, and compliance approach. While specific evaluation criteria are not fully outlined in the forecast, typical federal review processes assess technical merit, organizational experience, and alignment with program goals. Applicants may also be required to demonstrate readiness to implement services rapidly upon award. The estimated timeline indicates that the opportunity will be posted on May 8, 2026, with awards expected by September 29, 2026, which also serves as the anticipated project start date. The total program funding is estimated at 258,000,000 dollars, with approximately 15 awards expected. Individual awards may range from 1,000,000 dollars to 50,000,000 dollars depending on scope and capacity. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement associated with this opportunity. For additional information or inquiries, applicants may contact the ORR grants office via the provided email address. This opportunity appears to be part of an ongoing federal program with recurring funding cycles aligned to fiscal year planning, though recurrence is not explicitly stated. Organizations interested in applying should monitor the official posting and prepare documentation in advance to meet the anticipated submission deadline.