Announcement of Intent To Issue One Operating Division (OPDIV)-Initiated Supplement to BCFS Health and Human Services Under the Standing Announcement for Residential (Shelter) Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children, HHS-2017-ACF-ORR-ZU-1132

AGENCY:

Unaccompanied Alien Children's (UAC) Program, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION:

Notice of intent to issue one OPDIV-Initiated Supplement to BCFS Health and Human Services (BCFS HHS), San Antonio, Texas under the UAC Program.

SUMMARY:

ACF, ORR, announces the issuance of one OPDIV-Initiated Supplement to BCFS HHS, San Antonio, Texas in the amount of up to $475,868,102. ORR has been identifying additional capacity to provide shelter for potential increases in apprehensions of UAC at the Southwest Border. Planning for increased shelter capacity is a prudent step to ensure that ORR is able to meet its responsibility, by law, to provide shelter for UAC referred to its care by the Department of Homeland Security. To ensure sufficient capacity to provide shelter to UAC referred to HHS, ORR is requesting that BCFS HHS continue the use of up to 1008 hard-sided beds at Carrizo Springs, Texas.

DATES:

Supplemental award funds will support activities until January 31, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephen Antkowiak, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Division of Unaccompanied Alien Children Operations, 330 Street SW, Washington, DC 20447. Phone: 202-260-6165. Email: stephen.antkowiak@acf.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

ORR is continuously monitoring its capacity to shelter the UAC referred to HHS, as well as the information received from interagency partners, to inform any future decisions or actions.

ORR has specific requirements for the provision of services. Award recipients must have the infrastructure, licensing, experience, and appropriate level of trained staff to meet those requirements. The expansion of the existing program and its services through this supplemental award is a key strategy for ORR to be prepared to meet its responsibility to provide shelter for UAC referred to its care by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and so the Customs and Border Protection can continue its vital national security mission to prevent illegal migration, trafficking, and protect the borders of the United States.

Statutory Authority: This program is authorized by—

(A) Section 462 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which in March 2003, transferred responsibility for the care and custody of UAC from the Commissioner of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service to the Director of ORR within HHS.

(B) The Flores Settlement Agreement, Case No. CV85-4544-RJK (C.D. Cal. 1996), as well as the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-457), which authorizes post release services under certain conditions to eligible children. All programs must comply with the Flores Settlement Agreement, Case No. CV85-4544-RJK (C.D. Cal. 1996); pertinent regulations; and ORR policies and procedures.