A Home for Every Child
ACF is changing the foster care ratio to have homes waiting on kids, not kids waiting on homes.
Press Releases & Coverage
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IN THE NEWS ·
HHS: Biden Admin’s Office Of Refugee Resettlement Was A Fraud-Fueled ‘Smuggling Operation’ For Alien Children
The Biden administration’s Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) Program was a fraud-fueled federal “smuggling operation” intent on dumping as many unvetted minors into the homeland as possible, according to an assessment from the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).’The Biden Administration failed in its most basic responsibility: protecting vulnerable children in federal care,’ HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.
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IN THE NEWS ·
Biden admin approved 99% of applications for migrant kids in one year — exposing them to rapists, murders, new report shows
The Biden administration rubber-stamped more than 99% of sponsor applications for unaccompanied migrant children in fiscal year 2024 — leaving kids vulnerable to rapists, gang members and murderers because of the “less stringent” vetting process, according to a memo obtained by The Post.
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PRESS RELEASE ·
HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement Identifies Six Types of Fraud in the Biden Administration’s Unaccompanied Alien Children Program
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today released a memorandum detailing six documented forms of fraud perpetrated by various parties against the Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) Program during the Biden Administration. During the assessment, HHS’ Office of the General Counsel and ORR identified fraud by actual and potential sponsors, individuals in ORR custody, and individuals in a country of origin. In some cases, sponsors’ fraudulent documents or false information contributed to unaccompanied minors being released into unsafe situations, resulting in abuse — and, in rare instances, death. “The Biden Administration failed in its most basic responsibility: protecting vulnerable children in federal care,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “It weakened safeguards and prioritized speed over scrutiny, leaving children exposed to fraud, exploitation, and abuse. Under President Trump, HHS is restoring rigorous oversight, verifying who takes custody of these children, and putting their safety first. We will hold this system accountable and never sacrifice a child’s safety for bureaucratic convenience.” When an unaccompanied minor arrives at the U.S. southern or northern border, the Department of Homeland Security refers that child to ORR’s care. In most cases, ORR is responsible for vetting potential sponsors before releasing a UAC to that individual. From 2021 to 2024 approximately 479,000 UAC were referred to ORR. With a sharp increase in UAC referrals during the Biden Administration starting in 2021, ORR relaxed certain sponsor vetting policies and expedited the releases of UAC. In Fiscal Year 2024, ORR denied less than 1% of sponsorship applications. In 2025, at the direction of HHS leadership, OGC conducted a review of ORR Child-Level Event cases that occurred under the previous Administration. ORR’s data showed that the average rate of intentional documentation fraud, regardless of the number of children assisted, remained at approximately 77% of reported Child Level Events (CLEs). ORR received 1,669 CLE reports of fraud between October 1, 2023 and October 31, 2024. OGC reviewed a subset of these 1,669 reported instances of fraud and, of those reviewed, identified that approximately 85% involved intentional document fraud. Types of fraud identified were: False or fraudulent documentation of identity Manipulated photographs Misrepresented or unverifiable addresses Fingerprint-related fraud Failure to disclose household members Misrepresentation of age by UAC The report concludes that intentional documentation fraud perpetrated by some sponsors created conditions that put UAC at risk and, in some instances, released them into dangerous or harmful situations.In one instance, in August 2023, ORR released a 15-year-old girl to a sponsor who purported to be the UAC’s biological brother. ORR did not request fingerprints or DNA to verify the relationship. In October 2023, authorities determined that the sponsor was not related to the UAC and had allegedly raped and impregnated her. The sponsor has been charged by the state, and the case is under investigation. In another case from July 2024, ORR released a 17-year-old boy to a sponsor who claimed to be the stepsister of the UAC. The purported sponsor presented Venezuelan documents that HHS could not authenticate. In October 2024, the UAC was found dead in the back seat of a car, with his genitalia exposed, along with an unconscious 30-year-old male. OGC’s review concludes that strengthened vetting requirements — such as enhanced identity checks — might have prevented some of these fraudulent practices and reduced risk to children. More information and the complete HHS ORR memorandum can be found here.
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IN THE NEWS ·
Federal government expands assistance for foster care prevention
The federal government is expanding reimbursement rates for programs designed to prevent children from entering foster care.The expansion, which takes effect Thursday, is mandated under the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018, a law President Donald Trump signed in his first term to reform the child welfare and foster care systems.
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IN THE NEWS ·
Feds Expand Foster Care Prevention Funding to Include Expectant Parents
The federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has expanded the use of foster care prevention services funding to include expectant parents and their “unborn children,” according to a Tuesday press release.“Early intervention and support can be the difference between a child growing up in a stable home or spending time in the foster care system,” said ACF Assistant Secretary Alex Adams. “Extending eligibility for foster care candidacy is common sense to help strengthen families and ensure resources are available to families when they are needed.”
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PRESS RELEASE ·
ACF Awards $5.1 Million to Expand Kinship Navigator Programs
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced $5.1 million in grants to 11 recipients to expand evidence-based Kinship Navigator Programs for grandparents, relatives and other kin caring for children. The awards will support states, tribes and their partners implementing programs that connect kin caregivers with services and resources to help strengthen their families.“If a child enters foster care, they often do better when they can remain connected to family and get placed with kin caregivers ready to provide a safe and loving home,” said ACF Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams. “These grants will help states and tribes put proven Kinship Navigator Programs to work so kin caregivers can more easily find the services and support they need.”The funding supports two approaches: replicating a Kinship Navigator model already rated by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse or adapting a rated model for a Tribal community. Tribal adaptations may align program materials with Tribal policies, practices and culture while maintaining the model’s core components.Six grants totaling nearly $3 million were awarded to replicate evidence-based Kinship Navigator models. Recipients include the University of Kansas Center, Kids Matter, Inc., Community Based Connections, New Hampshire Department, University of Tennessee and Michigan State University. Another five grants totaling more than $2 million will support Tribal adaptations. Recipients include the Regents of the University of Minnesota, Central Council Tlingit and Haida, Quapaw Nation, Cherokee Nation and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Investing in these Kinship Navigator Programs advances ACF’s A Home for Every Child initiative by ensuring children who enter foster care can be placed in familiar, stable environments as quickly as possible and those kin caregivers are prepared to welcome children in need of care.