Fact Sheet: U.S. Department of Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement,Unaccompanied Alien Children Program

The Division of Children's Services (DCS) provides care and placement for children who come into the United States from other countries without an adult guardian. These children are referred to as unaccompanied alien children (UAC) in statutes. This program is in the Office of Refugee Resettlement, in the Administration for Children and Families, an operational division of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Treating all children in its custody with dignity, respect and special concern for individual needs, DCS considers the best interests of the child in all placement decisions. DCS strives to provide the highest quality of care tailored to each unaccompanied child in order to maximize opportunities for success both while in care and when discharged from the program. The age of these individuals, their separation from parents and relatives, and the hazardous journey they take make unaccompanied children especially vulnerable to human trafficking, exploitation and abuse. Unaccompanied children have multiple, inter-related reasons for undertaking the difficult journey of traveling to the United States, which may include rejoining family already in the United States, escaping violent communities or abusive family relationships in their home country, or finding work to support their families in the home country.