Residential Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children

Source-based overview

The Residential Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children funding opportunity is intended to support organizations that can provide high-quality, child-centered care that promotes children's safety and well-being. Funded providers must offer services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have the capacity to accept children at any time, when it is safe to do so and consistent with state licensing requirements. Although children in ORR care are in the federal government's legal custody due to their immigration status, care providers are responsible for their day-to-day physical care. At the time of application, providers must be licensed, in accordance with state requirements, to provide group home, shelter, or transitional foster care services for children, including any required child placement or related licenses. ORR is particularly interested in projects that provide residential facility beds and transitional foster care in states and localities near the U.S. southern border with Mexico. Standard ORR care providers must be licensed by an appropriate State agency, or meet the State's licensing requirements if located in a State that does not allow State licensing of programs providing or proposing to provide care and services to unaccompanied children. See 45 C.F.R. 410.1302(a) . The official record contains the controlling eligibility, budget, attachment and submission requirements for opportunity HHS-2026-ACF-ORR-ZU-0045.

Eligibility

Eligible applicant types listed by the agency: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); State governments; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Special district governments; County governments; For profit organizations other than small businesses; City or township governments; Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); Independent school districts; Private institutions of higher education; Small businesses; Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education. Applicants must also satisfy every programme-specific condition in the official notice.

Funding and benefits

Award ceiling: USD 5,600,000

Expected number of awards: 50

Themes and supported activities

The Residential Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children funding opportunity is intended to support organizations that can provide high-quality, child-centered care that promotes children's safety and well-being. Funded providers must offer services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have the capacity to accept children at any time, when it is safe to do so and consistent with state licensing requirements. Although children in ORR care are in the federal government's legal custody due to their immigration status, care providers are responsible for their day-to-day physical care. At the time of application, providers must be licensed, in accordance with state requirements, to provide group home, shelter, or transitional foster care services for children, including any required child placement or related licenses. ORR is particularly interested in projects that provide residential facility beds and transitional foster care in states and localities near the U.S. southern border with Mexico. Standard ORR care providers must be licensed by an appropriate State agency, or meet the State's licensing requirements if located in a State that does not allow State licensing of programs providing or proposing to provide care and services to unaccompanied children. See 45 C.F.R. 410.1302(a) .

Opportunity number: HHS-2026-ACF-ORR-ZU-0045

Deadline and timeline

Forecast notice: deadline to be announced: Forecast notice: deadline to be announced.

Applicants should confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, required documents, portal steps and any institutional approvals on the official call page before submitting.

How to apply

Open the official Grants.gov record, review the full notice and attachments, and use the application package or agency route stated there.

Before applying, check eligibility rules, budgets, attachments, page limits, partner requirements, cost-share conditions and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration or nomination stage.