Children’s Services
We are safely reunifying families one child at a time
Our top priority is reunifying children with their families as quickly and safely as possible. When this is not an option, we seek permanent and supportive relationships for our youth and equip them with the skills needed for successful lives in adulthood.
Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM)
Minors who have been designated status as a refugee, an asylee, a victim of human trafficking, or a special immigrant juvenile. Youth are referred to us through our funders United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Many of the youth have fled their home country due to war, abuse and neglect, and other violence related crimes and are in need of homes that will provide a therapeutic, safe, and nurturing environment.
Unaccompanied Children
(UC)
Only unaccompanied minors who have entered the USA without proper documentation and who were subsequently apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Immigration are eligible for care. All clients need to be sent to the program by the Office of Refugee Resettlement via DHS.
International Foster Care
We provide foster care and independent living placement to youth in our program, ages primarily 14-21. The program relies on engagement from a wide range of community members including foster parents, mentors, tutors, and host homes.
St. Mary’s Shelter
We provide a safe and nurturing environment for unaccompanied children, ages 5-13. Our primary goal is to reunify youth with their family members as quickly and safely as possible.
What we do
Advocating for the safety and well-being of the youth
Children’s Services provides daily care, supervision, and case management services to eligible unaccompanied immigrant and refugee youth.
Our programs are accredited by Praesidium – an abuse prevention organization that completes risk assessments and accredidations for organizations serving vulnerable populations. We are a zero tolerance policy when it comes to abuse.
International Foster Care
Our International Foster Care program provides both short and long term foster care placement as well as Supervised Independent Living to unaccompanied refugee and immigrant youth. Holistic services include: intensive case management, foster home development and support, indirect financial support for housing, food, clothing and other necessities, educational support including tutoring and ESL, job skills and independent life skills training, mental health services, ongoing family tracing, cultural activities and recreation.
Program Requirements
- Must be between the ages of 25 and 65
- Must be single (non-cohabitating) or married*
- Christian/Catholic preferred
- No major life changes within the past year
- All persons 14 and over in the home must pass a criminal background check, including FBI fingerprinting
- Live within the Dallas/Fort Worth area
- Must have a high school diploma or GED, and some English proficiency
- Must have a phone and internet in the home
- Must have a working motor vehicle safe to transfer children to activities, along with a valid Texas drivers license and insurance
- All occupants of the home over 1 year of age must be screened for Tuberculosis
- Must have adequate space in their house to comply with the Texas Child Care Licensing Minimum Standards (80 sq ft bedroom)
- May only be licensed through one child-placing agency
International Foster Care – Program Homes
Agency Homes
Our agency-run and agency-funded homes are operated by foster parents, who are agency employees. Generally having six youth in care at any time, allowing for flexibility, especially with sibling groups. We currently have one transitional foster care agency home and we have a need to open one more. If you are interested, please visit our careers page or Indeed job listings.
Community Homes
Located throughout the DFW Metroplex (within 100 miles) and can be licensed to welcome one to four foster youth depending on how many minor children are in the home. Community foster parents are able to maintain their jobs. As the youth become part of the family, our team supports the youth and the foster parent in the home . Foster parents receive financial assistance, home development support, ongoing training, successful completion of orientation, 40 hours of pre-service training, and home study assessment.
Are you considering becoming a foster parent?
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent in the DFW area, you need to complete an intake process through the DFW-URM Intake Team at U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants by clicking the button below for the inquiry form. You can also contact them by email: DFW-URM@uscrimail.org or phone: 703-214-1073.
Children’s Services Impact
Every day, we are striving to improve the short and long term lives of children
FY 2023
Anisa’s Story
Of the tens of thousands of people we serve every year, none are more vulnerable than children. They may face homelessness. They may be unable to return to their families. Or, as in the case of Anisa, they may be refugees escaping a violent homeland that claimed the lives of their parents. Our team is dedicated to giving all of these children a nurturing environment where they can thrive. Anisa’s path started with International Foster Care and a new home with a local family. And he flourished.
His hard work in both academics and athletics earned him a college soccer scholarship. He’s now part of Supervised Independent Living, our program that mentors youths like Anisa as they enter adulthood. Preparing for university life and excited about the future, Anisa now regularly greets his case manager with a huge smile and the news that “Everything is gooood!”
$50
Celebrates a foster youth’s birthday with cupcakes and presents
$100
Provides a year’s worth of rosaries to children at St. Mary’s Shelter
$400
Helps a child in our foster care program complete their driver’s education
$1,000
Supplies new clothing for 10 children who arrived with only the clothes on their backs
$2,500
Sponsors the cost of providing a safe and nurturing environment at our shelter for one day
