Foster Care Parents Needed for Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Teens

Rochester, NY… – Would you be willing to open your heart and your home to a refugee teen in need? The Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program (URM) is in need of foster parents in Monroe County.

Every year the program serves up to 40 youth ages 14 to 21 from countries around the world, including Eritrea, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Honduras, Congo, Nepal, Burma, and Somalia. These youth come here as refugees who are fleeing persecution because of their race or religion, or as special immigrant juveniles who’ve been abandoned, abused, or neglected by their caretakers in their home countries.

The goal of the program is to give youth a safe, stable, family-oriented home so they obtain the tools they need to live independently by age 21. Once in foster care, refugee teens and their foster families receive case management provided by highly trained social workers. Teens are provided with legal support to stabilize immigration status, medical and dental care, and the opportunity to attend school and obtain employment skills.

The Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program is federally funded by the Office of Refugee Settlement at the Administration for Children and Families. Catholic Charities Family and Community Services serves as one of two URM providers in New York State, and one of just 25 across the U.S.

Foster parents can support some of the most vulnerable minors in the world. The need is great. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent for refugee tens, please contact CCFCS at 585-546-7220 ext. 4846 or email Kathryn.Young@fcscharities.org.

About Catholic Charities Family and Community Services: Catholic Charities Family and Community Services provides housing, employment, and coordination of care to help people of all ages and all walks of life live independently with dignity, while facing the challenges of addiction, aging, mental illness, HIV, poverty, developmental disability, and immigration.