Developing a New Approach: Effective Case Management Services for Unaccompanied Migrant Children

Each year, the Department of Homeland Security processes thousands of undocumented immigrant children who are crossing into the U.S. without a parent or guardian. The number of these children—officially referred to by the government as unaccompanied alien children (UAC)—has increased dramatically in recent years, reaching nearly 70,000 in 2014. After they are apprehended, UAC are transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Most are then placed with a sponsor, usually a parent living in the U.S. These family reunifications are generally happy, but they are also deeply complex. Sponsors themselves are often undocumented and poor. In many cases, the parent and child have not seen each other in years. The young child the parent left behind is now an adolescent, and the parent has sometimes started a new family with children the UAC has never met. Added to these complications is the fact that many UAC have been affected by violence in their country of origin, or human rights abuses while in transit—experiences that often carry significant physical and mental health implications.

This study examines the temporary case management services assigned to a small percentage of UAC that HHS determines are the most vulnerable—those who will have difficulty adjusting once placed with their sponsor. It seems intuitive that post-release services, while only six months long, would be beneficial to UAC and their sponsors. Yet, in the absence of any comprehensive or consistent evaluation of these service models, we know very little about them or their effectiveness. This study, based on a unique data set, aims to address this gap.

Data and Method

Drawing on a comparative case study of four local organizations contracted by HHS to provide post-release services, we explore questions related to the structure of these services, how they vary across different geographies, and why some models appear more effective than others. From July – September, 2014, we conducted interviews with 30 case managers, supervisors, UAC and sponsors from four agencies in four different states. For the purposes of comparison, we purposively selected these organizations based on size, years of experience providing post-release services, and geographic location. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcribed files were coded in nVivo using a grounded theory approach.

Results and Implications

Effective post-release services hinge on successful referrals, yet many providers report that finding available services for UAC can be extremely difficult, particularly in some suburbs and rural areas where there are relatively few such providers. Even those services that are accessible often have long wait times and limited bilingual services.