Official funding announcement — preliminary draft
Funder: Administration for Children and Families – ORR
Opportunity number: HHS-2027-ACF-ORR-ZU-0045
Official listed status: posted
Closing information: 2026-12-29 (official deadline clock time and time zone must be checked in NOFO)
Award disclosure: Official federal synopsis lists an award ceiling of 5,600,000; applicant-level applicability requires full-NOFO review.
Applicant categories in federal synopsis: Special district governments; Small businesses; Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); County governments; Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Independent school districts; State governments; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Private institutions of higher education; Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; City or township governments; For profit organizations other than small businesses
Federal synopsis
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).
Draft intake record. Eligibility, program terms, current amendments and applicant ceiling must be independently verified before publishing.