Who are "Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URMs)"?
They are children under the age of 18 who are resettled alone in the United States, without a parent, relative or other responsible adult to care for them. They fall into three groups:
- Refugee minors: young people identified overseas who enter the United States prior to their 18th birthday, without a parent or appropriate caregiver to provide for them. These youngsters are placed directly into foster care at the time of arrival;
- Asylee/ special immigrant juvenile status minors: minors who are granted status in the United States because of a history of abuse, neglect or abandonment and have no family to care for them. They are also eligible for foster care;
- Victims of trafficking: minors who are victims of trafficking, which involves some form of forced labor or prostitution, are also eligible for the refugee foster care program.
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