Residential Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children
🏛 Administration for Children and Families - ORR
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 22, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations providing 24/7 residential care to unaccompanied children in federal custody. Applicants must be licensed by their state to operate group homes, shelters, or transitional foster care facilities. Providers must meet state child placement and related licensing requirements at the time of application.
ORR particularly prioritizes applications from facilities located in states and localities near the U.S.-Mexico border. Providers are responsible for day-to-day physical care and must demonstrate capacity to accept children at any time when safe and compliant with state law.
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Key dates
- Oct 21, 2026 Applications open
- Jan 12, 2027 Application deadline in 81 days
- Apr 1, 2027 Award announced
- Apr 1, 2027 Project start
Program description
The Residential Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children funding opportunity is intended to support organizations that can provide high-quality, child-centered care that promotes children’s safety and well-being. Funded providers must offer services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have the capacity to accept children at any time, when it is safe to do so and consistent with state licensing requirements. Although children in ORR care are in the federal government’s legal custody due to their immigration status, care providers are responsible for their day-to-day physical care. At the time of application, providers must be licensed, in accordance with state requirements, to provide group home, shelter, or transitional foster care services for children, including any required child placement or related licenses.
ORR is particularly interested in projects that provide residential facility beds and transitional foster care in states and localities near the U.S. southern border with Mexico.
Standard ORR care providers must be licensed by an appropriate State agency, or meet the State’s licensing requirements if located in a State that does not allow State licensing of programs providing or proposing to provide care and services to unaccompanied children. See 45 CFR 410.1302(a).
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Homeless Shelter
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 or SF-424 (R&R)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Proof of current state licensing
- Organizational capacity documentation
- Child safety and care protocols
Program contact
- 👤 Yolanda Barnes
- 📧 UCBgrants@acf.hhs.gov
- 📞 UCBgrants@acf.hhs.gov
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.676 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$468,239,668
-
$438,286,807
-
$404,574,848
-
$395,047,857
-
$384,336,873
-
$365,937,343
-
$365,034,274
-
$328,361,665
-
$314,506,870
-
$291,227,302
Top States by Funding
- TX 40 awards $7,800.2M
- NY 12 awards $1,100.4M
- MD 8 awards $594.3M
- VA 6 awards $398.4M
- OH 4 awards $371.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.676). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $3,535,163,483 | |
| 2025 | $3,183,622,121 | |
| 2026 est. | $2,872,989,528 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Licensed residential care providers operating group homes, shelters, or transitional foster care. Your organization must hold state licenses at application time.
Do I need cost sharing?
No cost sharing is required for this grant.
What award amounts can we receive?
Funding ranges from $2,000,000 to $5,600,000 per award.
What makes an application competitive?
Locations near the U.S.-Mexico border, demonstrated state licensing, strong safety protocols, and capacity for 24/7 operations strengthen competitiveness.
What type of funding instrument is this?
This is awarded as a Cooperative Agreement, meaning ongoing collaboration with ACF-ORR is required.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Verify your current state licensing status before applying. Unlicensed providers are ineligible.
- Emphasize geographic proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border if applicable. ORR prioritizes these locations.
- Detail your 24/7 operational capacity, staffing model, and protocols for accepting children at any time.
- Demonstrate strong child safety practices, trauma-informed care, and family connection services.
- Budget conservatively for staffing, facility operations, and culturally appropriate services for immigrant youth.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Missing or expired state licensure at application time. Not demonstrating capacity for true 24/7 operations and emergency intake. Insufficient detail on child-centered care practices or safety protocols.
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