A national initiative for long-term support of migrant children and families
Cayuga Centers is proud to announce the beginning of its new Home Study and Post Release Services program for unaccompanied migrant children. The program is designed to guarantee the ongoing support of as well as the long term safety, success and well-being of unaccompanied migrant children (UAC) prior, during and after they have been released from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to parents or sponsors. This program is a continuation of Cayuga Centers’ mission to support families and children, no matter the circumstances.
Working in close partnership with ORR, the program was created through Cayuga Centers’ extensive research and expertise in evidence-based social services and family preservation. Cayuga Centers is only one of four new providers of this type of work that were selected through a rigorous selection process.
An important moment in history:
Over the past few years the US has seen a steady increase of unaccompanied migrant children coming to the US-Mexico border from countries in Central American such as Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. As such, Cayuga Centers felt the need to create a direct-impact holistic approach that offers on-going services such as medical care, advocacy, counseling, mental health, education, legal services, unification and navigation of the US immigration system. All these services are provided via outreach initiatives and by creating relationships with community service providers, and are meant to support both children and families within this specific population and regardless of their situation.
The services will be carried out through highly trained, culturally and linguistically (Spanish-English) equipped case workers and mental health specialists who have extensive experience working with at-risk youth in migrant communities. Additionally, these specialists will provide ongoing guidance and individualized support to each youth, while creating a plan that works best for both the child and sponsor family.
Cayuga Centers has established regional offices in the Broward County, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York City and Chicago areas in order to facilitate services wherever they are needed. These areas were selected because they allow for a national expansion of the program to regions where services are in high demand. The organization is actively recruiting and training staff for the program and some of the positions the organization is looking to fill are for case managers, regional directors, clinicians and administrative secretaries.
“This program is an organic continuation of what we’re about, a provider of help no matter what. It is not only our mission, but our responsibility to help families who find themselves entrenched in complicated systems through no fault of their own, and who need a helping hand” says Edward Hayes, Cayuga Centers president and CEO.
The Vice President of the HS/PRS program, Mely Ramirez, says she looks forward to hiring a new team to work with her and the organization in the full rollout of this program, and to continue her close partnership with ORR as she implements a program that upholds their joint commitment to ensuring the long term safety, success and well-being of Unaccompanied Migrant Children.
About Cayuga Centers
Cayuga Centers is a nationally accredited and awarded 501(c)(3) non-profit, human services agency headquartered in Auburn, NY. Founded in 1852, the agency has delivered quality services by following the agency’s core mission of helping individuals and families grow as independent, healthy, and productive citizens through quality counseling, out-of-home care, and support services. Cayuga Centers provides a continuum of support services in Delaware, Florida, and over 30 counties throughout NYS. The agency specializes in providing individualized, culturally appropriate, and trauma-informed support to diverse populations. Cayuga Centers currently serves over 7,158 (10,000?) individuals and families annually. Visit www.cayugacenters.org for more information.
About ORR
The United States Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) recently granted permission to all of its contract agencies to provide general information about the services they provide. Cayuga Centers is providing this information in accordance with ORR policy as well as in response to multiple media inquiries. For further questions regarding programs that serve unaccompanied migrant children, please contact the United States Administration for Children and Families, Office of Communications at (202) 401-9215.
