Submission for OMB Review; Release of Unaccompanied Alien Children From ORR Custody (OMB #0970-0552)
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is inviting public comments on revisions ...
Office of Refugee Resettlement; Administration for Children and Families; Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION:
Request for public comments.
SUMMARY:
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is inviting public comments on revisions to an approved information collection. The request consists of several forms that allow the Unaccompanied Children (UC) Program to process release of unaccompanied children from ORR custody and provide services after release.
DATES:
Comments due within 30 days of publication.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must make a decision about the collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document in the
Federal Register
. Therefore, a comment is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.
ADDRESSES:
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description:
ORR is proposing revisions to four forms (Forms R-1, R-2, R-4, and R-6), the addition of one new form (Form R-9), removal of one form (Form R-3), continued use of the current version of one form (Form R-6), and alternate versions of two forms (R-2 and R-4). See below for a detailed description of the proposed revisions for each instrument.
Verification of Release (Form R-1)
There are two currently approved versions of this form under this information collection—one for UC Portal and one for UC Path. ORR proposes discontinuing the UC Portal version, incorporating the UC Path version into the UC Portal system, and making the below-listed revisions. ORR also updated the burden estimates for this form to account for an increase in the number care provider facilities and in the number of children placed in ORR care. The annual number of respondents increased from 216 to 300 and the annual number of responses per respondent increased from 253 to 428.
Proposed Revisions
Child's Information
○ Retitle section from
Minor's Information
to
Child's Information
○ Remove the term “minor” from the
Name, Date of Birth,
and
A#
fields.
○ Remove the
Height, Weight,
and
Hair Color
fields. ORR determined that these fields are not a good fit for this form given that height and weight will change quickly as the child grows and hair color is often altered.
○ Add fields for
Primary Language
and
Country of Birth.
These fields will be auto-populated.
Sponsor Information
○ Rephrase
Name of Sponsor
to
Name
○ Rephrase
Telephone #
to
Primary Phone #
○ Remove
Alias (if any)
field
Acknowledgement of the Sponsor Care Agreement
○ Rephrase
Name of ORR Care Provider
to
ORR Care Provider Name
○ Rephrase
Date
to
Discharge Date
○ Add the following statement:
In agreeing to these provisions, the sponsor holds authority to consent to medical and mental health care on behalf of the child.
Discharge Notification (Form R-2)
There are two currently approved versions of this form under this information collection—one for UC Portal and one for UC Path. ORR proposes discontinuing the UC Path version and revising the UC Portal version.
To support making iterative improvements, ORR proposes two versions of the form. The first version will be rolled out in the current UC Portal system. The second version will be rolled out in a modernized version of UC Portal. ORR expects to begin rolling out features in the new modernized system in 2024. Once the second version is rolled out, ORR will submit a nonsubstantive change request to remove the first version from the information collection.
ORR also updated the burden estimates for this form to reflect the revisions and to account for an increase in the number of care provider facilities and in the number of children placed in
( printed page 922)
ORR care. For both versions, the annual number of respondents increased from 216 to 300 and the annual number of responses per respondent increased from 290 to 487. For the modernized UC Portal version, the average burden hours per response increased from 0.17 to 0.25.
Proposed Revisions—Current UC Portal Version
Discharge Notification
○ Remove
Proof of Relationship
field
○ Rephrase Type of Discharge field to
Discharge Type
and update dropdown options to account for all types of discharge from an ORR care provider facility.
ORR Decision From Latest Release Request
○ Remove the following fields:
DHS Family Shelter, Local Law Enforcement,
and
Specify, if Other is Selected
○ Move the following fields into a new Transfer of Placement Section:
UC Legal Status
(rephrased from
Legal Status of Minor),
Address, City, State, Zip Code,
and
Phone
Create a new Other Type of Discharge section that contains the following fields:Discharge into the Custody of
(options = Individual and Program/Facility),
Individual or Program/Facility Name, Address, City, State,
and
Zip Code
Proposed Revisions—Modernized UC Portal Version
In general, the purpose of the proposed revisions is to make the form more useful for processing the physical discharge of a child from a care provider program. To that end, ORR proposes adding several new fields, many of which are intended to support internal operations only and are not appropriate to share with stakeholders when notifying them of a child's discharge. To ensure that only information necessary to provide notification of a child's discharge is shared with stakeholders, ORR proposes making this form internal to the ORR care provider network and ORR staff. To more accurately capture the purpose of the form and to distinguish it from previous versions, ORR proposes renaming the form “Program Exit Processing” and assigning it a new internal control number, “Form R-10.” The UC Portal system will generate a separate report (
i.e.,
an auto-populated document requiring no data entry) which will only contain the basic information necessary to notify stakeholders of the child's discharge. ORR will continue to use the title and internal control number of “Discharge Notification (Form R-2)” for the report since it will be used for the same purpose as the previous version of the form.
UC Basic Information
○ Remove
Age
field and add
Portal ID
field (auto-populated system-generated number).
Discharge Basic Information
○ Retitle section from
Discharge Notification
to
Discharge Basic Information.
○ Update the dropdown options for the
Discharge Type
field to be inclusive of all types of discharge scenarios and add an
If Other, specify
text box field.
○ Add the following fields from the UC Path version:
Status
Scheduled Date of Discharge
(rephrase from
Release Scheduled Date/Time)
Discharge Delay
(also expand dropdown options and add an
If Other, specify
text box field)
UC Parent Name
Parent/Legal Guardian Separation
MPP Case
Next Immigration Hearing Date
○ Add the following new fields:
UC Parent Discharge Type
UC Parent A#
Did the medical coordinator certify that the child is medically fit to travel?
○ Move the field
Legal Status of Child
(rephrase from
Legal Status of Minor) under this section and add an
If Other, specify
text box field.
Discharge Details
○ Retitle section from
ORR Decision from Latest Release Request
to
Discharge Details.
○ Employ progressive disclosure for this section so that only fields relevant to the selected
Discharge Type
(and where applicable
UC Parent Discharge Type) are displayed.
○ Rephase field label to
Receiving Program Name
(currently
Program Minor was Transferred to).
○ Remove the following fields:
DHS Family Shelter
Local Law Enforcement
○ Add the following fields from the UC Path version:
Government Agency Name
(rephrase from
Name of Government Agency)
Government Agency Type
(rephrase from
Government Agency
and update dropdown options to add
ICE ERO
and remove
State/Local Facility)
Date Granted Voluntary Departure
Date Travel Document Requested
Date Travel Document Issued
Referral to Services in Country of Origin
(update dropdown options to rephrase
KIND (Kids in Need of Defense)
to
KIND CMRRP
and add
Other Services)
Completed Referral to Services in Country of Origin
DHS Age Out/Age Redetermination Plan
(rephrase from
DHS Age Out Plan)
○ Add the following new fields:
Type of Post-18 Discharge Plan
Discharged into Custody of
UC Parent Discharged into Custody of
Transportation Details
○ Transfer this section and all fields contained within from the UC Path version without further revisions.
ORR Release Notification—ORR Notification to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Chief Counsel—Release of Unaccompanied Child to Sponsor and Request To Change Address (Form R-3)
ORR proposes removing this instrument from the information collection. No information is requested specifically for this auto-populated document, instead this a document that is auto-populated with information ORR collects in other OMB-approved forms. The use of information consolidated on this notification document is consistent with the purpose for which ORR originally collects the information in its other forms and with ORR's system of records notice (81 FR 46682). This form simply compiles and presents approved information collections in a different format and is therefore not subject to PRA.
The fields in this form are auto-populated from the following instruments:
Discharge Notification (Form R-2, approved under this information collection)
Release Request (Form R-4, approved under this information collection)
Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5) (approved under OMB# 0970-0553)
Care provider program user profile (not subject to PRA per OMB's April 7, 2010 memorandumSocial Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act)
Release Request (Form R-4)
There are two currently approved versions of this form under this information collection—one for UC Portal and one for UC Path. ORR proposes discontinuing the UC Path version and revising the UC Portal version.
To support making iterative improvements, ORR proposes two
( printed page 923)
versions of the form. The first version will be rolled out in the current UC Portal system. The second version will be rolled out in a modernized version of UC Portal. ORR expects to begin rolling out features in the new modernized system in 2024. Once the second version is rolled out, ORR will submit a nonsubstantive change request to remove the first version from the information collection.
ORR also updated the burden estimates for this form to reflect the revisions and to account for an increase in the number of care provider facilities and in the number of children placed in ORR care. For both versions, the annual number of respondents increased from 216 to 300 for care providers; the annual number of responses per respondent increased from 254 to 430 for care providers and 321 to 756 for case coordinators. For the modernized UC Portal version, the average burden hours per response increased from 0.42 to 0.58 for care providers and 0.33 to 0.50 for case coordinators.
Proposed Revisions—Current UC Portal Version
• Release Request Details
○ Replace the current
Requester Information
section with this section.
○ Auto-populate all fields in this section based on information captured in other sections of the form, information collected in the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553), and system user information.
○ Add the following new fields:
Case Category
and
Relationship.
○ Replace the fields
Requester Name
and
Requester Title
with the following auto-populated fields:
Case Manager Name, Case Coordinator Name,
and
Local Federal Field Staff Name.
• Sponsor Information
○ Remove the following fields:
Legal Status, If other Non-Immigrant Visa, Specify, If Other Immigrant Visa, Specify, SSN, A Number, Sponsor Email, Sponsor's Relationship to Minor, Is there proof of relationship?, Provide Details on Relationship Including Official Documentation, Sponsor Household Occupants,
and
Affidavits of Support.
• OTIP Eligibility
○ This new section requests information related to referrals made to the Office of Trafficking in Persons, where applicable.
○ Add the following new fields:
Is the unaccompanied child a material witness?, Outcome of OTIP Referral, OTIP Referral, Date of OTIP Referral, Date OTIP Eligibility Begins,
and
Date OTIP Eligibility Expires.
• Program Information
○ Add the following new fields:
URM Program Requirement Eligibility
and
Date the URM Eligibility was Obtained.
• Case Manager Recommendation
○ Reorganize the section to contain three subsections: Home Study, Release Recommendation, and Release Cancellation.
○ Replace the fields
Case Manager Recommendation, Case Manager Recommendation after Home Study,
and
If Applicable, Cancellation Reason
with three new fields:
Case Manager Home Study Recommendation, Case Manager Release Recommendation,
and
Case Manager Cancellation Reason.
○ Add the following new fields:
Explain your rationale for recommending or not recommending a Home Study, Describe case factors that contribute positively to your release recommendation, Describe case factors that contribute negatively to your release recommendation, List all documents used as evidence to support your recommendation to deny release (“evidentiary record”),
and
Describe circumstances of release cancellation.
• Case Coordinator Recommendation
○ Reorganize the section to contain three subsections: Home Study, Release Recommendation, and Release Cancellation.
○ Replace the fields
Recommendation, Recommendation after Home Study,
and
If Applicable, Cancellation Reason
with three new fields:
Case Coordinator Home Study Recommendation, Case Coordinator Release Recommendation,
and
Case Coordinator Cancellation Reason.
○ Add the following new fields:
Explain your rationale for recommending or not recommending a Home Study, Case Coordinator Pending Information, Other, Describe case factors that contribute positively to your release recommendation, Describe case factors that contribute negatively to your release recommendation, List all documents used as evidence to support your recommendation to deny release (“evidentiary record”),
and
Describe circumstances of release cancellation.
• ORR Decision
○ Replace the fields
ORR Decision, ORR Decision after Home Study,
and
If Applicable, Cancellation Reason
with three new fields:
ORR Home Study Decision, ORR Release Decision,
and
ORR Cancellation Reason.
○ Move the fields
Release Approved Date
and
Release Approved by
up from the Program Release Dates section and rephrase as follows:
ORR Decision Date
and
ORR Decisionmaker Name.
○ Add the following new fields:
ORR Hold Reason, Explain your rationale for recommending or not recommending a Home Study, Please summarize the results of the home study including any recommendations made by the Home Study provider, if there are any concerns, and how they were mitigated, Describe case factors that contribute positively to your release recommendation, Describe case factors that contribute negatively to your release recommendation, List all documents used as evidence to support your recommendation to deny release (“evidentiary record”),
and
Describe circumstances of release cancellation.
Proposed Revisions—Modernized UC Portal Version
Case Details—Retitle section fromUC Basic Information
to
Case Details.
• Release Request Details
○ Replace the current
Requester Information
section with this section.
○ Auto-populate all fields in this section based on information captured in other sections of the form, information collected in the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553), and system user information.
○ Add the following new fields:
Case Category, Relationship, Process
and
Release Status.
○ Replace the fields
Requester Name
and
Requester Title
with the following auto-populated fields:
Case Manager Name, Case Coordinator Name, Local Federal Field Staff Name,
and
Box Federal Field Staff Name (if Applicable).
• Sponsor Information
○ Add the following new fields that will auto-populate based on information entered in the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553):
Evidence gathered to support sponsor/child relationship, Birth Certificate Trail, Concurrent and Prior Sponsorships, Sponsor's Previous Address(es), Sponsor's Current Address,
and
Flags Associated with Sponsors.
○ Add the following new fields that will be completed by the user:
Other
(in response to
What evidence has been gathered to support sponsor/child relationship),
Does sponsor birth certificate match official sponsor ID?, If no, please note discrepancies between sponsor birth certificate and official sponsor ID, Was birth certificate verified
( printed page 924)
by the consulate, If unable to conclusively prove relationship, please explain,
and
Concurrent and Prior Sponsorships Evaluation.
○ Remove the following fields:
Legal Status, If other Non-Immigrant Visa, Specify, If Other Immigrant Visa, Specify, SSN, Provide Details on Relationship Including Official Documentation, Sponsor Household Occupants,
and
Affidavits of Support.
Family Reunification Packet & Supporting Documents
○ Add this new section which will reference all supporting documentation relevant for release recommendations to minimize the amount of cross-referencing system users typically do to complete this form.
○ Unification Documentation Subsection
Add the following new fields that will auto-populate based on information enter in the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553):
Sponsor, Sponsor Identification, Was the sponsor address validated through SmartyStreets?, Choose to link google maps and google earth screenshots, What documentation was provided as proof of address, Household Member Name, Household Member Identification, ID Expiration Date, Alternate Caregiver Name, Alternate Caregiver Identification,
and
ID Expiration Date.
Add the following new fields that will be completed by the user:
Date FRP Received by Case Manager, Describe the sponsor's ability to provide housing, food, and education to the child, On what date was the Letter of Designation received, Not Collected (checkbox),
and
On what date was the Legal Orientation Program for Custodians Packet sent to the Sponsor?
Child-Level Events Subsection
Hyperlink to information collected in the Child-Level Event (Form A-9, approved under OMB# 0970-0547), when applicable. This section is proposed purely to assist users in having all case information in one place. Child-Level Events in and of themselves are not the sole basis of release decisions but can inform whether a Home Study recommendation is made, what level of post-release services (PRS) is recommended for release, or what type of program would be best suited to a child released to program rather than a sponsor.
Legal Representation Subsection
Add the following new fields:
Does the child have an attorney of record?
and
Date Attorney Appointed, Is this a Migrant Protection Protocol case?, Is there a removal order for the unaccompanied child?,
and
Is this a Parental/Legal Guardian separation case?.
Child Advocate Subsection
Add the following new fields:
Does the child have a Child Advocate appointed?, Date Child Advocate Appointed.
Add a hyperlink to the Child Advocate Best Interest Determination (which is uploaded into UC Portal) upon completion, is proposed to be added into this form for the user's ease of reference.
OTIP Eligibility Subsection
This subsection requests information related to referrals made to the Office of Trafficking in Persons, where applicable.
Add the following new fields:
Is the unaccompanied child a material witness?, Outcome of OTIP Referral, OTIP Status, Date of OTIP Referral, Date OTIP Eligibility Begins,
and
Date OTIP Eligibility Expires.
Add a hyperlink to the OTIP Eligibility Letter (if applicable) which is uploaded into UC Portal, upon completion, will be added into this form for the user's ease of reference.
Release to Program (URM, State, Local Social Service Agency, Other) Subsection
Add the following new fields:
URM Program Requirement Eligibility, Date the URM Eligibility was Obtained, Program Accepts Guardianship, Program Agreed to Condition of Release, How/Why Program was identified, Date of Referral to the Program, Date of Acceptance, Program Comment,
and
Program License Typ
e,
Program Type, Facility Name, Program Address,
and
Other.
Add a hyperlink to the Discharge Plan (Form R-9), which is a new instrument proposed under this request.
Criminal Investigations
○ Auto-populate information on background check results from the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553).
○ Employ progressive disclosure to limit or expand each subsection based on the facts of the case.
○ Criminal Investigations: Sponsor Subsection
Add the following new fields that will be completed by the user:
Has the sponsor self-disclosed any criminal history? Please Explain., Is there evidence of rehabilitation? Please Explain., FFS requested the following additional information to adjudicate CA/N Results:, FFS adjudicated referred CA/N Check Results, FFS Requested the following information to adjudicate Fingerprints Results:, FFS adjudicated Fingerprints Results,
and
Did the FFS instruct that it is safe to move forward with the sponsor given the Fingerprint and CA/N Results? Please Explain:.
○ Criminal Investigations: Household Member (HHM) Subsection
Add the following new fields that will be completed by the user:
Has the household member self-disclosed any criminal history? Please Explain., Is there evidence of rehabilitation? Please Explain., FFS requested the following additional information to adjudicate CA/N Results:, FFS adjudicated referred CA/N Check Results, FFS Requested the following information to adjudicate Fingerprints Results:, FFS adjudicated Fingerprints Results,
and
Did the FFS instruct that it is safe to move forward with the sponsor given the HHM's Fingerprint and CA/N Results? Please Explain:.
Add the following new fields that will be completed by the user:
Has the alternate caregiver self-disclosed any criminal history? Please Explain., Is there evidence of rehabilitation? Please Explain., FFS requested the following additional information to adjudicate CA/N Results:, FFS adjudicated referred CA/N Check Results, FFS Requested the following information to adjudicate Fingerprints Results:, FFS adjudicated Fingerprints Results,
and
Did the FFS instruct that it is safe to move forward with the sponsor given the alternate caregiver's Fingerprint and CA/N Results? Please Explain:
• Home Study Recommendation Section
○ Move all fields related to home study recommendations into this new section. Currently, the Case Manager Recommendation, Case Coordinator Recommendation, and ORR Decision sections contain fields related to home study recommendations, release recommendations, and cancellation reasons. Moving fields related to home study recommendations here will distinguish the home study decision from the release decision and cancellation reasons. This section will contain subsections for each party involved in the home study recommendation and decision process—Case Manager Recommendation, Case
( printed page 925)
Coordinator Recommendation, and ORR Decision.
○ Add a new dropdown option,
Do Not Recommend Home Study,
to the case manager and case coordination recommendation fields and the decision field (current dropdown options are
Home Study—TVPRA, Home Study—Discretionary,
and
Home Study—ORR Mandated).
○ Add a new field,
Explain your rationale for recommending or not recommending a Home Study,
to all three subsections.
○ Add the following new fields that will appear if a home study is approved:
Date Home Study Referral Sent, Date Home Study Referral Accepted,
and
Date Home Study Completed.
These fields will auto-populated based on UC Portal system data.
○ Add a hyperlink to the Home Study Report will appear after it is uploaded into UC Portal, as well as a new field:
Please summarize the results of the home study including any recommendations made by the Home Study provider. If there are any concerns and how they were mitigated.
• Release Recommendation
○ Bundle the Case Manager Recommendation, Case Coordinator Recommendation, and ORR Decision sections together as subsections under this new section. Fields related to home study recommendations will be moved into the Home Study Recommendation section (as discussed above) and fields related to cancellation reasons will be moved into the Release Cancellation section (as discussed below).
○ Add three checkboxes to assist in routing for this form:
Submitted on Weekend or Holiday?, ICF or Casa Padre?,
and
Certified Medically Fit for Travel
(a field that can only be completed by ORR federal staff).
○ Update the dropdown options for the following fields to reflect that all children released from ORR care will receive PRS beginning January 1, 2024:
Case Manager Release Recommendation, Case Coordinator Release Recommendation,
and
ORR Release Decision.
○ Add the following fields to direct case routing:
Case Manager Routing, Case Coordinator Routing, ORR Routing (if applicable).
○ Add the following new fields to each subsection:
Describe case factors that contribute positively to your release recommendation, Describe case factors that contribute negatively to your release recommendation,
and
List all documents used as evidence to support your recommendation to deny release
(will only appear if the recommendation is to deny release).
○ Case Manager Recommendation Subsection
Add checkboxes for the types of documents the user reviewed to inform their recommendation as well as an
Other
text box to describe any documents reviewed that are not included in the checklist.
○ Case Coordinator Recommendation Subsection
Add a new field,
Case Coordinator Pending Information
as well as an
Other
text box to capture addition information is the user selects
Other.
○ ORR Decision Subsection
Add the following new fields: ORR Decisionmaker Role,
ORR Remand Reason
(along with a corresponding
Other
text field), and
ORR HOLD Reason.
Add a hyperlink to the final Notification of Denial Letter signed by the ORR Director that will appear if
Deny Release
is selected for a Cat 1, Cat 2A, or Cat 2B sponsor.
• Release Cancellation
○ Move fields related to release cancellation into this new section to distinguish cancellations from home study and release recommendations. This section will contain subsections for each party involved in cancellations—Case Manager Recommendation, Case Coordinator Recommendation, and ORR Decision.
○ Add the following new fields to each subsection:
Cancellation Reason
and
Describe circumstances of release cancellation.
○ Add the following fields that will prompt the user to select a more specific reason for cancellation:
Specific Sponsor Withdrawal Reason, Specific Reason for Child Discharge (Non-unification or Program),
and
Specific Administrative Closure Reason.
There are two currently approved versions of this form under this information collection—one in Excel and one for UC Path. ORR proposes the below-listed revisions to the current UC Path version and plans to incorporate the revised version into the UC Portal system.
In addition, ORR is requesting continued use of the current Excel version of this instrument to support a phased rollout of improvements to the UC Portal system.
ORR updated the burden estimates for this form to reflect form revisions, to account for an increase in the number of care provider facilities and in the number of children placed in ORR care, and to improve burden accuracy. The burden estimate was split into three separate line items for each respondent. The annual number of respondents changed from 216 care providers to 40 PRS providers, 128,487 sponsors, and 128,487 children; the annual number of responses per respondent increased from 253 to 19,273 for PRS providers, 3 for sponsors, and 3 for children; and the average burden hours per response increased from 0.42 to 0.58 for PRS providers, 0.17 to 0.25 for sponsors, and 0.17 to 0.25 for children.
ORR plans to shift responsibility for conducting safety and well-being calls from care provider facilities to PRS providers. Moving forward these calls will be called virtual check-ins. All children released to a sponsor and their sponsors will continue to receive calls, however, the frequency of the calls will increase from one to three calls—conducted at seven business days, 14 business days, and 30 business days after the child's release from ORR custody.
ORR proposes the following revisions to the UC Path version of Form R-6 to support this change in process:
Change the title to “Virtual Check-In Questionnaire.”
Pre-Call Information
—This section will replace the UAC Basic Information and Case Information sections. The new section retains the child and sponsor information and adds fields to capture phone numbers for contacts in the care plan and in home country. All information in this section will be auto-populated.
Questions for the Sponsor
—This section will replace the Sponsor Address Confirmation and Sponsor Questions sections. The new section will include subsections for Location & Contact Information, Child's School, Child's Medical & Mental Health, Legal Services & Child's Immigration Court Dates, Safety & Well-Being, and Child's Work. This section adds 16 new questions. The section also retains, and in some cases adds additional follow-up questions for, the questions confirming the address, whether the child still lives with the sponsor, whether the child is registered for school, whether the child is having any behavioral or health issues, whether the sponsor has attended the Legal Orientation Program for Custodians of Unaccompanied Children (LOPC) presentation, whether the sponsor is aware of, and notified the child of, the child's next immigration
( printed page 926)
court date, whether the child has attended their scheduled court hearing, whether the sponsor still has the child's
Verification of Release
form, and whether the sponsor has been asked to pay for the release of the child.
Questions for the Child
—This section will replace the UAC Address Confirmation and UAC Questions sections. The new section will include subsections for Location, School, Medical & Mental Health, Immigration & Legal Services, and Safety & Well-Being (to include subsections for Post-Release, Work, and In-Care). The new section adds 34 new questions. The section also retains, and in some cases adds additional follow-up questions for, the questions confirming the address, whether the child still lives with the sponsor, whether the child is attending school, whether the child feels safe, whether the child has been adequately provided for, whether anyone has been asked to pay for the release of the child, whether the child is being forced to work or pay money, and whether the child is aware of their next immigration court date.
Post-Call Assessment and Outcomes
—This section will replace the following sections: Sponsor Interview, UAC Interview, Case Manager Observation and Action Follow-Up, UAC May be in Immediate Danger, UAC May be Unsafe, UAC May Have Been Sexually Abused or Harassed While in ORR Care, Additional Support Services or LOPC Appointment, and Case Manager Certification. The new section adds 5 new questions. The section also retains, and in some cases builds on, questions on whether the phone was disconnected, sponsor participation, whether the child appears to be in immediate danger, whether the child or sponsor should be assessed for additional PRS, post-call actions taken, and reasons for elevation (if applicable).
Discharge Plan (Form R-9)
ORR care providers are required to conduct discharge planning for children who are not likely to be released to a sponsor, may obtain a form of lawful immigration relief, are projected to have a prolonged stay in ORR care, and/or will soon turn age 18 and age out of ORR care. Discharge planning is a participatory process that takes into consideration the wishes and goals of the child and includes consultation with the child's legal services provider, attorney of record, child advocate, and other stakeholders (
e.g.,
parents, legal guardian in home country) as applicable. Case managers engage in concurrent planning, whenever possible, to ensure there are multiple options included in the child's discharge plan.
ORR developed this instrument to improve and standardize the process for discharge planning across its national network of care providers. The new instrument will collect information on the following topics:
Child's Basic Information
Placement Information After Release
Financial Plan
Education and Career Plan
Community Resources Plan
Residential Plan
UC Program Family Group
Case Management Needs
Family Unification Plan
Legal Services Plan
Voluntary Departure Plan
Release to DHS ICE Field Office Juvenile Coordinator Upon Age Out
Transportation Plan
Health Discharge Safety Plan
Behavioral Health Support Summary
Summary of Strengths and Life Skills
The Legal Services Plan section of this instrument will replace Post Legal Status Plan (Form L-8), which is currently approved under OMB# 0970-0565. ORR plans to submit a nonsubstantive change request to discontinue Form L-8 soon.
Respondents:
ORR grantee and contractor staff; and released children and sponsors.
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
89 FR 921
Web Citation
Suggested Web Citation
Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.
“Submission for OMB Review; Release of Unaccompanied Alien Children From ORR Custody (OMB #0970-0552),” thefederalregister.org (January 8, 2024), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2024-00077/submission-for-omb-review-release-of-unaccompanied-alien-children-from-orr-custody-omb-0970-0552.