Frequently Asked Questions
Fostering
What types of kids are in foster care?
Children from all backgrounds can be in need of foster care. Sometimes it is a short-term placement while a family receives additional support. Sometimes long-term care is needed. When a child requires additional emotional or behavioral support, our team is there to ensure the foster parents have the training and backup they need. Ages can range from babies to teens. Children come from all cultural and economic backgrounds. The one thing they all have in common is the need for a loving home.
Can I adopt from foster care?
It is sometimes possible to adopt from foster care, but Cayuga Centers is not a fostering-to-adoption agency. Here is one of our blog posts about the differences between fostering and adopting.
Do foster parents get paid?
Foster parents receive a stipend to cover the expenses of looking after a child. The figure varies depending on location and needs of the child. Our homefinders can supply more information.
What are the requirements to become a foster parent?
These checklists will help you determine if you qualify to be a foster parent:
What are the different kinds of foster care?
By offering both Traditional and Treatment Family Foster Care, we are able to serve a broad population with programs best suited for each youth’s needs.
Where can I find more information about fostering in my area?
More information on how you can become a foster parent and the different requirements for each of our locations can be found here.
Unaccompanied 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.
Are children detained at Cayuga Centers?
No. Under a contract with the US Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Cayuga Centers runs a transitional foster care program for unaccompanied children. Cayuga Centers plays no role in the apprehension or initial detention of unaccompanied children or their family members prior to ORR’s referral to our program which includes:
- short-term foster care in a loving home, with a certified, Spanish-speaking family
- medical and psychological support
- learning and play during the day (typically 8am – 4:30pm)
- support in accessing consular and legal assistance
- family unification services
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 is 38 days.
We do all we can to unite children with a sponsor (usually a parent in the United States), but we have to ensure they are being sent 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 0-17 years. 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.
What is the Flores Settlement Agreement and how does it relate to the work Cayuga Centers does?
The Flores Settlement Agreement, in place since 1997, outlines detention and release standards relating to the care and treatment of unaccompanied children. It offers specific guidelines regarding facility conditions and the timing and terms of the child’s release.
Under the Flores Settlement Agreement, the U.S. government is required:
- to implement standards relating to the care and treatment of children in immigration detention.
- to release children from immigration detention without unnecessary delay in order of preference beginning with parents and including other adult relatives as well as licensed programs willing to accept custody.
- to transfer unaccompanied minors to a non-secure, licensed facility within three to five days of apprehension, with an extension of up to 20 days in times of “emergency” or “influx.”
- is obligated to place children in the “least restrictive” setting appropriate to their age and any special needs.
- to make prompt and continuous efforts toward family reunification
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).
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?
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.
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.
How many unaccompanied children does Cayuga Centers care for?
It varies, but Cayuga Centers has the capacity to care for up to 500 unaccompanied children at any one time.
How is the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 related to the services Cayuga Centers provide?
Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must transfer an unaccompanied child to ORR custody within 72 hours (unless the child is from a contiguous country, in which case the child generally may be given the option to voluntarily return to that country in lieu of being held by ORR and DHS authorities).
In order to provide a safe environment and place the child in the least restrictive setting appropriate for the child’s needs, ORR places children with foster care providers like Cayuga Centers or in other care facility models.
How can I help?
I am unable to foster, but want to help.
The best way to support the children we serve is to donate.
We also encourage people to raise awareness of our work on social media.
Does Cayuga Centers need volunteers?
Due to training and child safety requirements, we only have limited opportunities for volunteers. People offering specialist child support skills (educators, clinicians, and other professionals) can contact us via this form.
How can I donate?
Please visit our donate page.
Can I help by donating goods or services?
We regret that we cannot receive used clothing, toys or other items. For offers of unused items or professional services, please use this form.