HHS: Grantees Sheltering ‘Unaccompanied Alien Children’ Must Provide ‘Family Planning Services’
(CNSNews.com) – A $350 million grant opportunity announced Friday by the Department of Health and Human Services to provide shelter for unaccompanied alien children (UAC) states that recipients providing residential shelter to these children must provide them with “family planning services” and that residential care providers deliver services in a manner that is “sensitive” to sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Residential care providers are required to provide…family planning services,” says an official description of the grant program published by HHS.
“Residential care providers are required to provide or arrange for the program required services in a mannter that is sensitive to the…sexual orientation, gender identity, and other important individual needs of each UAC [unaccompanied alien child],” says the official description.
The grant will be issued by HHS through the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The primary function of the Office of Refugee Resettlement/Division of Children’s Services (ORR/DCS) is to provide temporary shelter care and related services to unaccompanied alien children in custody.
Unaccompanied alien children (UAC) are defined as minors who have no lawful immigration status in the U.S., who have not reached the age of 18, and for whom there is no parent or legal guardian in the U.S. or no parent or legal guardian in the U.S. is available to provide care and physical custody.
While the population of unaccompanied illegal children generally consists of children ages 12 to 17 with males representing a higher percentage of the overall population, “ORR is looking for applicants who can provide services for a diverse population of UAC of all ages and genders as well as pregnant and parenting teens,” the grant said.
Unaccompanied alien children (UAC) are required to receive a complete medical examination that includes screening for infectious disease within 48 hours of admission. They also receive “appropriate immunizations,” emergency health care services, “family planning services,” other routine medical and dental care, prescription drugs, special diets, and mental health intervention as needed.
“Residential care providers are required to provide or arrange for the program required services in a manner that is sensitive to the age, culture, religion, dietary needs, native language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other important individual needs of each UAC,” the grant said.
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