Refugee program for minors interested in New Bedford

Posted by Lurdes C. da Silva on Feb 3, 2012 in Immigration | Comments Off

WORCESTER — Fearing for her life in her native land, despite her very young age, she decided to enter the United States without proper documentation.
Maria (not her real name) lost her mother at age 3, and began selling tortillas on the streets to survive three years later.
She joined a gang at age 10, but when she was told she would have to “kill or be killed” she knew she had to leave.
She was detained by U.S. officials and spent the next six months in a shelter before she was granted asylum and placed in the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program (URMP).
Her story is now highlighted by URMP to bring awareness to the program that places minors who arrive parentless in the country in foster care with specially-trained families and provides culturally and linguistically appropriate social services support.
Originally developed in the 1980 to aid thousands of parentless children in Southeast Asia, URMP has helped about 13,000 minors to date.
Expecting a rise in demand, social workers are racing to look for new homes for these minors.
Massachusetts is currently home to one of the largest shares of the program in the nation, and the Whaling City may soon start welcoming minors like Maria.
“We’re looking to expand the program into New Bedford; it could be a really great fit for our kids,” said Deane Lozano, Family resource coordinator for the Lutheran Social Services (LSS), the only program in New England that assists refugee and migrating youth exclusively.
The coordinator cited the city’s cultural and linguistic diversity and school programs already in place to serve ethnic children as being a “really good area to tap into.”
“This doesn’t happen in many areas,” she said.
According to the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement, there are about 700 children in care across the country and the need for foster families is growing, fueled by armed conflicts, natural disasters, famine, human trafficking and other troubles around the globe.
To be eligible for the program, individuals must be under age 18 and fit one of the following criteria: refugees identified by the State Department as qualified for resettlement in the United States or unaccompanied entrants, asylees or victims of trafficking.
Currently, only 14 U.S. states and the District of Columbia participate in the program. Massachusetts — the only state in New England taking part in the program — is home to 137 children in care.
“The need is growing rapidly; in 2007 we had half as many children. Children come from all over the world,” said Lozano.
In Massachusetts, current participants hail from 21 countries. The top three nationalities represented are Burmese (22 percent), Honduras (13 percent) and Guatemala (10 percent). Lozano knows of at least one participant hailing from a Portuguese speaking-country — a minor born in Brazil who qualified for special immigrant juvenile status.
“The kids found here [in the U.S.], sometimes cross the border on their own, sometimes they are already found in the states,” said Lozano. “They all have different stories, but they were allowed to stay the country because they were abused, neglected or abandoned in their home country.”
In Massachusetts, 64 percent of the participants are refugees and 27 percent have qualified for special immigrant juvenile status. The rest are asylees or victims of trafficking.
Participants can stay in the program until they turn 22. In Massachusetts, 64 percent of the participants are 18 to 21 years old; 27 percent are 13 to 17 years old; and the rest under 12 years old.
“Only a small percent actually makes it into the program; most who cross the border or are found in this country are sent back to their home countries,” said Lozano.
Initially, participants came mostly from Asian countries, but in recent years there has been a significant increase in kids from South of the border.
“Most of the kids we’re getting right now are from Latin and Central American countries,” said Lozano.
Participants receive the same assistance, care, and services available to all foster children in the state. Families also receive the same benefits available in the state to foster families, including an allowance.
Additional services provided may include educational supports; English language training; assistance adjusting immigration status; cultural activities; support for social integration; and cultural and religious preservation, among others.
“It’s really getting into a family so they can build relationships,” said Lozano.
The program is currently looking for interested foster families in New Bedford area.
Although we like to have multi-cultural families, we really want to ensure they are English-speaking and they will encourage the children to learn English,” Lozano said. “We want everyone to be happy and want these to be long term homes.”
The only thing that would prevent expanding the program to New Bedford would be if local families show no interest, said Lozano.
“We’re always looking for foster homes. There is no lack of children,” she said.

For more information about the program or about becoming a foster parent, contact Deana Lozano at the Lutheran Social Services at 617-916-5576 or visit www.lssne.org/refugee-youth-foster-care