Final Project
MT1022
FAQ.docxUnaccompanied Migrant Children
What is the definition of unaccompanied children?
Unaccompanied children are defined under federal law as youth under the age of 18 who do not yet have lawful immigration status, and do not have an immediately-identified legal guardian available in the United States to provide care and physical custody.
How are unaccompanied children cared for?
Unaccompanied children cared for by Cayuga Centers receive:
· short-term foster care in a loving home, with a certified, Spanish-speaking family
· a designated case manager working to unite them with family or a sponsor
· medical and psychological support
· learning and play during the day (typically 8am-4.30pm)
· access to consular and legal assistance
· contact with family members in home country and / or USA.
How long are children with Cayuga Centers?
It varies, but the average stay of an unaccompanied child before leaving Cayuga Centers, Jan-April 2019, was 29 days.
We are working to bring this duration down. We do all we can to unite children with a sponsor (usually a parent in the United States), but we have to be sure that they are being sent on to a safe home. Identity and safety checks on sponsors involve multiple agencies and some cases can be highly complex.
Are parents / relatives allowed to contact and visit?
Of course. Once the identity of the child and their parent or sponsor is established, children can make a phone call any time they wish. Parents / sponsors can visit children at our daycare center in New York City while awaiting unification. Legal or consular access is also allowed at any time.
How old are the children? Where are they from?
The children range from 0-18 years. We only accept babies who are accompanied by an under-18 mother. They are placed together in a specialist foster home with a foster parent trained in caring for girls and their babies.
With a few rare exceptions, most of the children come from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
Who monitors and regulates your services?
We are monitored and regulated by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Our foster homes are licensed by the State of New York’s Office of Children and Family Services.
Does Cayuga Centers profit from this work?
No. Cayuga Centers is a nonprofit organization. All our revenue goes back into services. Our accounts and activities are available in our Annual Report.
Why are the children unaccompanied by a parent?
The reasons differ, but the vast majority of the children we care for arrived at the border without a parent. It could be that they were with an older sibling or relative, or an adult whose identity and relationship to the child could not be immediately verified. Human trafficking is a constant reality.
Some of the children we receive have a parent who has been detained by law enforcement (see next question).
Have children been separated from their parents?
Decisions at the border are made by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Cayuga Centers is not involved in this process, and we will not turn away any child who we can help.
Since the end of the Trump Administration’s “Zero Tolerance” policy in 2018, the number of children we receive who have been separated from their parents by ICE has plummeted. A very small minority of our cases may now involve a child whose parent is detained for suspected criminal activity or whose safety with a parent is a matter of immediate concern (for example, if the family has a history of domestic violence or abuse).
How many unaccompanied children does Cayuga Centers care for?
Presently Cayuga Centers cares for around 400-800 unaccompanied children at any one time.
Why are children brought to New York City?
Cayuga Centers has developed a large network of certified, bilingual highly-skilled and trained foster families in New York City to meet the cultural and language needs of these children in a safe home environment. The concentration of a large number of foster parents in a compact geographical location means that we can offer services such as daycare, learning and play, medical and psychological support, consular and legal assistance, and unification assistance. New York City’s transportation links facilitate family access and unification.
Can I visit the children, donate, or become a foster parent?
For child safety, we cannot allow visits other than by family members. You can donate to help pay for play and educational materials, activities, and other assistance for the children here. You can find out more about becoming a foster parent here.
What happens to the children after Cayuga Centers?
The vast majority of the children we care for are united with a parent or family member in the United States.
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