Notice2024-00077
Submission for OMB Review; Release of Unaccompanied Alien Children From ORR Custody (OMB #0970-0552)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 8, 2024
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentChildren and Families Administration
Abstract
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is inviting public comments on revisions to an approved information collection. The request consists of several forms that allow the Unaccompanied Children (UC) Program to process release of unaccompanied children from ORR custody and provide services after release.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 5 (Monday, January 8, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 5 (Monday, January 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 921-927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00077]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Submission for OMB Review; Release of Unaccompanied Alien
Children From ORR Custody (OMB #0970-0552)
AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement; Administration for Children and
Families; Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for
Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, is inviting public comments on revisions to an approved
information collection. The request consists of several forms that
allow the Unaccompanied Children (UC) Program to process release of
unaccompanied children from ORR custody and provide services after
release.
DATES: Comments due within 30 days of publication. Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) must make a decision about the collection of
information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document
in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best assured of having
its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description: ORR is proposing revisions to four forms (Forms R-1,
R-2, R-4, and R-6), the addition of one new form (Form R-9), removal of
one form (Form R-3), continued use of the current version of one form
(Form R-6), and alternate versions of two forms (R-2 and R-4). See
below for a detailed description of the proposed revisions for each
instrument.
Verification of Release (Form R-1)
There are two currently approved versions of this form under this
information collection--one for UC Portal and one for UC Path. ORR
proposes discontinuing the UC Portal version, incorporating the UC Path
version into the UC Portal system, and making the below-listed
revisions. ORR also updated the burden estimates for this form to
account for an increase in the number care provider facilities and in
the number of children placed in ORR care. The annual number of
respondents increased from 216 to 300 and the annual number of
responses per respondent increased from 253 to 428.
Proposed Revisions
<bullet> Child's Information
[cir] Retitle section from Minor's Information to Child's
Information
[cir] Remove the term ``minor'' from the Name, Date of Birth, and
A# fields.
[cir] Remove the Height, Weight, and Hair Color fields. ORR
determined that these fields are not a good fit for this form given
that height and weight will change quickly as the child grows and hair
color is often altered.
[cir] Add fields for Primary Language and Country of Birth. These
fields will be auto-populated.
<bullet> Sponsor Information
[cir] Rephrase Name of Sponsor to Name
[cir] Rephrase Telephone # to Primary Phone #
[cir] Remove Alias (if any) field
<bullet> Acknowledgement of the Sponsor Care Agreement
[cir] Rephrase Name of ORR Care Provider to ORR Care Provider Name
[cir] Rephrase Date to Discharge Date
[cir] Add the following statement: In agreeing to these provisions,
the sponsor holds authority to consent to medical and mental health
care on behalf of the child.
Discharge Notification (Form R-2)
There are two currently approved versions of this form under this
information collection--one for UC Portal and one for UC Path. ORR
proposes discontinuing the UC Path version and revising the UC Portal
version.
To support making iterative improvements, ORR proposes two versions
of the form. The first version will be rolled out in the current UC
Portal system. The second version will be rolled out in a modernized
version of UC Portal. ORR expects to begin rolling out features in the
new modernized system in 2024. Once the second version is rolled out,
ORR will submit a nonsubstantive change request to remove the first
version from the information collection.
ORR also updated the burden estimates for this form to reflect the
revisions and to account for an increase in the number of care provider
facilities and in the number of children placed in
[[Page 922]]
ORR care. For both versions, the annual number of respondents increased
from 216 to 300 and the annual number of responses per respondent
increased from 290 to 487. For the modernized UC Portal version, the
average burden hours per response increased from 0.17 to 0.25.
Proposed Revisions--Current UC Portal Version
<bullet> Discharge Notification
[cir] Remove Proof of Relationship field
[cir] Rephrase Type of Discharge field to Discharge Type and update
dropdown options to account for all types of discharge from an ORR care
provider facility.
<bullet> ORR Decision From Latest Release Request
[cir] Remove the following fields: DHS Family Shelter, Local Law
Enforcement, and Specify, if Other is Selected
[cir] Move the following fields into a new Transfer of Placement
Section: UC Legal Status (rephrased from Legal Status of Minor),
Address, City, State, Zip Code, and Phone
<bullet> Create a new Other Type of Discharge section that contains
the following fields: Discharge into the Custody of (options =
Individual and Program/Facility), Individual or Program/Facility Name,
Address, City, State, and Zip Code
Proposed Revisions--Modernized UC Portal Version
In general, the purpose of the proposed revisions is to make the
form more useful for processing the physical discharge of a child from
a care provider program. To that end, ORR proposes adding several new
fields, many of which are intended to support internal operations only
and are not appropriate to share with stakeholders when notifying them
of a child's discharge. To ensure that only information necessary to
provide notification of a child's discharge is shared with
stakeholders, ORR proposes making this form internal to the ORR care
provider network and ORR staff. To more accurately capture the purpose
of the form and to distinguish it from previous versions, ORR proposes
renaming the form ``Program Exit Processing'' and assigning it a new
internal control number, ``Form R-10.'' The UC Portal system will
generate a separate report (i.e., an auto-populated document requiring
no data entry) which will only contain the basic information necessary
to notify stakeholders of the child's discharge. ORR will continue to
use the title and internal control number of ``Discharge Notification
(Form R-2)'' for the report since it will be used for the same purpose
as the previous version of the form.
<bullet> UC Basic Information
[cir] Remove Age field and add Portal ID field (auto-populated
system-generated number).
<bullet> Discharge Basic Information
[cir] Retitle section from Discharge Notification to Discharge
Basic Information.
[cir] Update the dropdown options for the Discharge Type field to
be inclusive of all types of discharge scenarios and add an If Other,
specify text box field.
[cir] Add the following fields from the UC Path version:
[ssquf] Status
[ssquf] Scheduled Date of Discharge (rephrase from Release
Scheduled Date/Time)
[ssquf] Discharge Delay (also expand dropdown options and add an If
Other, specify text box field)
[ssquf] UC Parent Name
[ssquf] Parent/Legal Guardian Separation
[ssquf] MPP Case
[ssquf] Next Immigration Hearing Date
[cir] Add the following new fields:
[ssquf] UC Parent Discharge Type
[ssquf] UC Parent A#
[ssquf] Did the medical coordinator certify that the child is
medically fit to travel?
[cir] Move the field Legal Status of Child (rephrase from Legal
Status of Minor) under this section and add an If Other, specify text
box field.
<bullet> Discharge Details
[cir] Retitle section from ORR Decision from Latest Release Request
to Discharge Details.
[cir] Employ progressive disclosure for this section so that only
fields relevant to the selected Discharge Type (and where applicable UC
Parent Discharge Type) are displayed.
[cir] Rephase field label to Receiving Program Name (currently
Program Minor was Transferred to).
[cir] Remove the following fields:
[ssquf] DHS Family Shelter
[ssquf] Local Law Enforcement
[cir] Add the following fields from the UC Path version:
[ssquf] Government Agency Name (rephrase from Name of Government
Agency)
[ssquf] Government Agency Type (rephrase from Government Agency and
update dropdown options to add ICE ERO and remove State/Local Facility)
[ssquf] Date Granted Voluntary Departure
[ssquf] Date Travel Document Requested
[ssquf] Date Travel Document Issued
[ssquf] Referral to Services in Country of Origin (update dropdown
options to rephrase KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) to KIND CMRRP and
add Other Services)
[ssquf] Completed Referral to Services in Country of Origin
[ssquf] DHS Age Out/Age Redetermination Plan (rephrase from DHS Age
Out Plan)
[cir] Add the following new fields:
[ssquf] Type of Post-18 Discharge Plan
[ssquf] Discharged into Custody of
[ssquf] UC Parent Discharged into Custody of
<bullet> Transportation Details
[cir] Transfer this section and all fields contained within from
the UC Path version without further revisions.
ORR Release Notification--ORR Notification to Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) Chief Counsel--Release of Unaccompanied Child to
Sponsor and Request To Change Address (Form R-3)
ORR proposes removing this instrument from the information
collection. No information is requested specifically for this auto-
populated document, instead this a document that is auto-populated with
information ORR collects in other OMB-approved forms. The use of
information consolidated on this notification document is consistent
with the purpose for which ORR originally collects the information in
its other forms and with ORR's system of records notice (81 FR 46682).
This form simply compiles and presents approved information collections
in a different format and is therefore not subject to PRA.
The fields in this form are auto-populated from the following
instruments:
<bullet> Discharge Notification (Form R-2, approved under this
information collection)
<bullet> Release Request (Form R-4, approved under this information
collection)
<bullet> Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5) (approved under OMB# 0970-0553)
<bullet> Care provider program user profile (not subject to PRA per
OMB's April 7, 2010 memorandum Social Media, Web-Based Interactive
Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act)
Release Request (Form R-4)
There are two currently approved versions of this form under this
information collection--one for UC Portal and one for UC Path. ORR
proposes discontinuing the UC Path version and revising the UC Portal
version.
To support making iterative improvements, ORR proposes two
[[Page 923]]
versions of the form. The first version will be rolled out in the
current UC Portal system. The second version will be rolled out in a
modernized version of UC Portal. ORR expects to begin rolling out
features in the new modernized system in 2024. Once the second version
is rolled out, ORR will submit a nonsubstantive change request to
remove the first version from the information collection.
ORR also updated the burden estimates for this form to reflect the
revisions and to account for an increase in the number of care provider
facilities and in the number of children placed in ORR care. For both
versions, the annual number of respondents increased from 216 to 300
for care providers; the annual number of responses per respondent
increased from 254 to 430 for care providers and 321 to 756 for case
coordinators. For the modernized UC Portal version, the average burden
hours per response increased from 0.42 to 0.58 for care providers and
0.33 to 0.50 for case coordinators.
Proposed Revisions--Current UC Portal Version
<bullet> Release Request Details
[cir] Replace the current Requester Information section with this
section.
[cir] Auto-populate all fields in this section based on information
captured in other sections of the form, information collected in the
Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553), and
system user information.
[cir] Add the following new fields: Case Category and Relationship.
[cir] Replace the fields Requester Name and Requester Title with
the following auto-populated fields: Case Manager Name, Case
Coordinator Name, and Local Federal Field Staff Name.
<bullet> Sponsor Information
[cir] Remove the following fields: Legal Status, If other Non-
Immigrant Visa, Specify, If Other Immigrant Visa, Specify, SSN, A
Number, Sponsor Email, Sponsor's Relationship to Minor, Is there proof
of relationship?, Provide Details on Relationship Including Official
Documentation, Sponsor Household Occupants, and Affidavits of Support.
<bullet> OTIP Eligibility
[cir] This new section requests information related to referrals
made to the Office of Trafficking in Persons, where applicable.
[cir] Add the following new fields: Is the unaccompanied child a
material witness?, Outcome of OTIP Referral, OTIP Referral, Date of
OTIP Referral, Date OTIP Eligibility Begins, and Date OTIP Eligibility
Expires.
<bullet> Program Information
[cir] Add the following new fields: URM Program Requirement
Eligibility and Date the URM Eligibility was Obtained.
<bullet> Case Manager Recommendation
[cir] Reorganize the section to contain three subsections: Home
Study, Release Recommendation, and Release Cancellation.
[cir] Replace the fields Case Manager Recommendation, Case Manager
Recommendation after Home Study, and If Applicable, Cancellation Reason
with three new fields: Case Manager Home Study Recommendation, Case
Manager Release Recommendation, and Case Manager Cancellation Reason.
[cir] Add the following new fields: Explain your rationale for
recommending or not recommending a Home Study, Describe case factors
that contribute positively to your release recommendation, Describe
case factors that contribute negatively to your release recommendation,
List all documents used as evidence to support your recommendation to
deny release (``evidentiary record''), and Describe circumstances of
release cancellation.
<bullet> Case Coordinator Recommendation
[cir] Reorganize the section to contain three subsections: Home
Study, Release Recommendation, and Release Cancellation.
[cir] Replace the fields Recommendation, Recommendation after Home
Study, and If Applicable, Cancellation Reason with three new fields:
Case Coordinator Home Study Recommendation, Case Coordinator Release
Recommendation, and Case Coordinator Cancellation Reason.
[cir] Add the following new fields: Explain your rationale for
recommending or not recommending a Home Study, Case Coordinator Pending
Information, Other, Describe case factors that contribute positively to
your release recommendation, Describe case factors that contribute
negatively to your release recommendation, List all documents used as
evidence to support your recommendation to deny release (``evidentiary
record''), and Describe circumstances of release cancellation.
<bullet> ORR Decision
[cir] Replace the fields ORR Decision, ORR Decision after Home
Study, and If Applicable, Cancellation Reason with three new fields:
ORR Home Study Decision, ORR Release Decision, and ORR Cancellation
Reason.
[cir] Move the fields Release Approved Date and Release Approved by
up from the Program Release Dates section and rephrase as follows: ORR
Decision Date and ORR Decisionmaker Name.
[cir] Add the following new fields: ORR Hold Reason, Explain your
rationale for recommending or not recommending a Home Study, Please
summarize the results of the home study including any recommendations
made by the Home Study provider, if there are any concerns, and how
they were mitigated, Describe case factors that contribute positively
to your release recommendation, Describe case factors that contribute
negatively to your release recommendation, List all documents used as
evidence to support your recommendation to deny release (``evidentiary
record''), and Describe circumstances of release cancellation.
Proposed Revisions--Modernized UC Portal Version
<bullet> Case Details--Retitle section from UC Basic Information to
Case Details.
<bullet> Release Request Details
[cir] Replace the current Requester Information section with this
section.
[cir] Auto-populate all fields in this section based on information
captured in other sections of the form, information collected in the
Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553), and
system user information.
[cir] Add the following new fields: Case Category, Relationship,
Process and Release Status.
[cir] Replace the fields Requester Name and Requester Title with
the following auto-populated fields: Case Manager Name, Case
Coordinator Name, Local Federal Field Staff Name, and Box Federal Field
Staff Name (if Applicable).
<bullet> Sponsor Information
[cir] Add the following new fields that will auto-populate based on
information entered in the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under
OMB# 0970-0553): Evidence gathered to support sponsor/child
relationship, Birth Certificate Trail, Concurrent and Prior
Sponsorships, Sponsor's Previous Address(es), Sponsor's Current
Address, and Flags Associated with Sponsors.
[cir] Add the following new fields that will be completed by the
user: Other (in response to What evidence has been gathered to support
sponsor/child relationship), Does sponsor birth certificate match
official sponsor ID?, If no, please note discrepancies between sponsor
birth certificate and official sponsor ID, Was birth certificate
verified
[[Page 924]]
by the consulate, If unable to conclusively prove relationship, please
explain, and Concurrent and Prior Sponsorships Evaluation.
[cir] Remove the following fields: Legal Status, If other Non-
Immigrant Visa, Specify, If Other Immigrant Visa, Specify, SSN, Provide
Details on Relationship Including Official Documentation, Sponsor
Household Occupants, and Affidavits of Support.
Family Reunification Packet & Supporting Documents
[cir] Add this new section which will reference all supporting
documentation relevant for release recommendations to minimize the
amount of cross-referencing system users typically do to complete this
form.
[cir] Unification Documentation Subsection
[ssquf] Add the following new fields that will auto-populate based
on information enter in the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved
under OMB# 0970-0553): Sponsor, Sponsor Identification, Was the sponsor
address validated through SmartyStreets?, Choose to link google maps
and google earth screenshots, What documentation was provided as proof
of address, Household Member Name, Household Member Identification, ID
Expiration Date, Alternate Caregiver Name, Alternate Caregiver
Identification, and ID Expiration Date.
[ssquf] Add the following new fields that will be completed by the
user: Date FRP Received by Case Manager, Describe the sponsor's ability
to provide housing, food, and education to the child, On what date was
the Letter of Designation received, Not Collected (checkbox), and On
what date was the Legal Orientation Program for Custodians Packet sent
to the Sponsor?
Child-Level Events Subsection
[ssquf] Hyperlink to information collected in the Child-Level Event
(Form A-9, approved under OMB# 0970-0547), when applicable. This
section is proposed purely to assist users in having all case
information in one place. Child-Level Events in and of themselves are
not the sole basis of release decisions but can inform whether a Home
Study recommendation is made, what level of post-release services (PRS)
is recommended for release, or what type of program would be best
suited to a child released to program rather than a sponsor.
Legal Representation Subsection
[ssquf] Add the following new fields: Does the child have an
attorney of record? and Date Attorney Appointed, Is this a Migrant
Protection Protocol case?, Is there a removal order for the
unaccompanied child?, and Is this a Parental/Legal Guardian separation
case?.
Child Advocate Subsection
[ssquf] Add the following new fields: Does the child have a Child
Advocate appointed?, Date Child Advocate Appointed.
[ssquf] Add a hyperlink to the Child Advocate Best Interest
Determination (which is uploaded into UC Portal) upon completion, is
proposed to be added into this form for the user's ease of reference.
OTIP Eligibility Subsection
[ssquf] This subsection requests information related to referrals
made to the Office of Trafficking in Persons, where applicable.
[ssquf] Add the following new fields: Is the unaccompanied child a
material witness?, Outcome of OTIP Referral, OTIP Status, Date of OTIP
Referral, Date OTIP Eligibility Begins, and Date OTIP Eligibility
Expires.
[ssquf] Add a hyperlink to the OTIP Eligibility Letter (if
applicable) which is uploaded into UC Portal, upon completion, will be
added into this form for the user's ease of reference.
Release to Program (URM, State, Local Social Service Agency, Other)
Subsection
[ssquf] Add the following new fields: URM Program Requirement
Eligibility, Date the URM Eligibility was Obtained, Program Accepts
Guardianship, Program Agreed to Condition of Release, How/Why Program
was identified, Date of Referral to the Program, Date of Acceptance,
Program Comment, and Program License Type, Program Type, Facility Name,
Program Address, and Other.
[ssquf] Add a hyperlink to the Discharge Plan (Form R-9), which is
a new instrument proposed under this request.
Criminal Investigations
[cir] Auto-populate information on background check results from
the Sponsor Assessment (Form S-5, approved under OMB# 0970-0553).
[cir] Employ progressive disclosure to limit or expand each
subsection based on the facts of the case.
[cir] Criminal Investigations: Sponsor Subsection
[ssquf] Add the following new fields that will be completed by the
user: Has the sponsor self-disclosed any criminal history? Please
Explain., Is there evidence of rehabilitation? Please Explain., FFS
requested the following additional information to adjudicate CA/N
Results:, FFS adjudicated referred CA/N Check Results, FFS Requested
the following information to adjudicate Fingerprints Results:, FFS
adjudicated Fingerprints Results, and Did the FFS instruct that it is
safe to move forward with the sponsor given the Fingerprint and CA/N
Results? Please Explain:.
[cir] Criminal Investigations: Household Member (HHM) Subsection
[ssquf] Add the following new fields that will be completed by the
user: Has the household member self-disclosed any criminal history?
Please Explain., Is there evidence of rehabilitation? Please Explain.,
FFS requested the following additional information to adjudicate CA/N
Results:, FFS adjudicated referred CA/N Check Results, FFS Requested
the following information to adjudicate Fingerprints Results:, FFS
adjudicated Fingerprints Results, and Did the FFS instruct that it is
safe to move forward with the sponsor given the HHM's Fingerprint and
CA/N Results? Please Explain:.
[cir] Criminal Investigations: Alternate Caregiver (ACG) Subsection
[ssquf] Add the following new fields that will be completed by the
user: Has the alternate caregiver self-disclosed any criminal history?
Please Explain., Is there evidence of rehabilitation? Please Explain.,
FFS requested the following additional information to adjudicate CA/N
Results:, FFS adjudicated referred CA/N Check Results, FFS Requested
the following information to adjudicate Fingerprints Results:, FFS
adjudicated Fingerprints Results, and Did the FFS instruct that it is
safe to move forward with the sponsor given the alternate caregiver's
Fingerprint and CA/N Results? Please Explain:
<bullet> Home Study Recommendation Section
[cir] Move all fields related to home study recommendations into
this new section. Currently, the Case Manager Recommendation, Case
Coordinator Recommendation, and ORR Decision sections contain fields
related to home study recommendations, release recommendations, and
cancellation reasons. Moving fields related to home study
recommendations here will distinguish the home study decision from the
release decision and cancellation reasons. This section will contain
subsections for each party involved in the home study recommendation
and decision process--Case Manager Recommendation, Case
[[Page 925]]
Coordinator Recommendation, and ORR Decision.
[cir] Add a new dropdown option, Do Not Recommend Home Study, to
the case manager and case coordination recommendation fields and the
decision field (current dropdown options are Home Study--TVPRA, Home
Study--Discretionary, and Home Study--ORR Mandated).
[cir] Add a new field, Explain your rationale for recommending or
not recommending a Home Study, to all three subsections.
[cir] Add the following new fields that will appear if a home study
is approved: Date Home Study Referral Sent, Date Home Study Referral
Accepted, and Date Home Study Completed. These fields will auto-
populated based on UC Portal system data.
[cir] Add a hyperlink to the Home Study Report will appear after it
is uploaded into UC Portal, as well as a new field: Please summarize
the results of the home study including any recommendations made by the
Home Study provider. If there are any concerns and how they were
mitigated.
<bullet> Release Recommendation
[cir] Bundle the Case Manager Recommendation, Case Coordinator
Recommendation, and ORR Decision sections together as subsections under
this new section. Fields related to home study recommendations will be
moved into the Home Study Recommendation section (as discussed above)
and fields related to cancellation reasons will be moved into the
Release Cancellation section (as discussed below).
[cir] Add three checkboxes to assist in routing for this form:
Submitted on Weekend or Holiday?, ICF or Casa Padre?, and Certified
Medically Fit for Travel (a field that can only be completed by ORR
federal staff).
[cir] Update the dropdown options for the following fields to
reflect that all children released from ORR care will receive PRS
beginning January 1, 2024: Case Manager Release Recommendation, Case
Coordinator Release Recommendation, and ORR Release Decision.
[cir] Add the following fields to direct case routing: Case Manager
Routing, Case Coordinator Routing, ORR Routing (if applicable).
[cir] Add the following new fields to each subsection: Describe
case factors that contribute positively to your release recommendation,
Describe case factors that contribute negatively to your release
recommendation, and List all documents used as evidence to support your
recommendation to deny release (will only appear if the recommendation
is to deny release).
[cir] Case Manager Recommendation Subsection
[ssquf] Add checkboxes for the types of documents the user reviewed
to inform their recommendation as well as an Other text box to describe
any documents reviewed that are not included in the checklist.
[cir] Case Coordinator Recommendation Subsection
[ssquf] Add a new field, Case Coordinator Pending Information as
well as an Other text box to capture addition information is the user
selects Other.
[cir] ORR Decision Subsection
[ssquf] Add the following new fields: ORR Decisionmaker Role, ORR
Remand Reason (along with a corresponding Other text field), and ORR
HOLD Reason.
[ssquf] Add a hyperlink to the final Notification of Denial Letter
signed by the ORR Director that will appear if Deny Release is selected
for a Cat 1, Cat 2A, or Cat 2B sponsor.
<bullet> Release Cancellation
[cir] Move fields related to release cancellation into this new
section to distinguish cancellations from home study and release
recommendations. This section will contain subsections for each party
involved in cancellations--Case Manager Recommendation, Case
Coordinator Recommendation, and ORR Decision.
[cir] Add the following new fields to each subsection: Cancellation
Reason and Describe circumstances of release cancellation.
[cir] Add the following fields that will prompt the user to select
a more specific reason for cancellation: Specific Sponsor Withdrawal
Reason, Specific Reason for Child Discharge (Non-unification or
Program), and Specific Administrative Closure Reason.
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (Form R-6) (Formerly Titled Safety and
Well-Being Call)
There are two currently approved versions of this form under this
information collection--one in Excel and one for UC Path. ORR proposes
the below-listed revisions to the current UC Path version and plans to
incorporate the revised version into the UC Portal system.
In addition, ORR is requesting continued use of the current Excel
version of this instrument to support a phased rollout of improvements
to the UC Portal system.
ORR updated the burden estimates for this form to reflect form
revisions, to account for an increase in the number of care provider
facilities and in the number of children placed in ORR care, and to
improve burden accuracy. The burden estimate was split into three
separate line items for each respondent. The annual number of
respondents changed from 216 care providers to 40 PRS providers,
128,487 sponsors, and 128,487 children; the annual number of responses
per respondent increased from 253 to 19,273 for PRS providers, 3 for
sponsors, and 3 for children; and the average burden hours per response
increased from 0.42 to 0.58 for PRS providers, 0.17 to 0.25 for
sponsors, and 0.17 to 0.25 for children.
ORR plans to shift responsibility for conducting safety and well-
being calls from care provider facilities to PRS providers. Moving
forward these calls will be called virtual check-ins. All children
released to a sponsor and their sponsors will continue to receive
calls, however, the frequency of the calls will increase from one to
three calls--conducted at seven business days, 14 business days, and 30
business days after the child's release from ORR custody.
ORR proposes the following revisions to the UC Path version of Form
R-6 to support this change in process:
<bullet> Change the title to ``Virtual Check-In Questionnaire.''
<bullet> Pre-Call Information--This section will replace the UAC
Basic Information and Case Information sections. The new section
retains the child and sponsor information and adds fields to capture
phone numbers for contacts in the care plan and in home country. All
information in this section will be auto-populated.
<bullet> Questions for the Sponsor--This section will replace the
Sponsor Address Confirmation and Sponsor Questions sections. The new
section will include subsections for Location & Contact Information,
Child's School, Child's Medical & Mental Health, Legal Services &
Child's Immigration Court Dates, Safety & Well-Being, and Child's Work.
This section adds 16 new questions. The section also retains, and in
some cases adds additional follow-up questions for, the questions
confirming the address, whether the child still lives with the sponsor,
whether the child is registered for school, whether the child is having
any behavioral or health issues, whether the sponsor has attended the
Legal Orientation Program for Custodians of Unaccompanied Children
(LOPC) presentation, whether the sponsor is aware of, and notified the
child of, the child's next immigration
[[Page 926]]
court date, whether the child has attended their scheduled court
hearing, whether the sponsor still has the child's Verification of
Release form, and whether the sponsor has been asked to pay for the
release of the child.
<bullet> Questions for the Child--This section will replace the UAC
Address Confirmation and UAC Questions sections. The new section will
include subsections for Location, School, Medical & Mental Health,
Immigration & Legal Services, and Safety & Well-Being (to include
subsections for Post-Release, Work, and In-Care). The new section adds
34 new questions. The section also retains, and in some cases adds
additional follow-up questions for, the questions confirming the
address, whether the child still lives with the sponsor, whether the
child is attending school, whether the child feels safe, whether the
child has been adequately provided for, whether anyone has been asked
to pay for the release of the child, whether the child is being forced
to work or pay money, and whether the child is aware of their next
immigration court date.
<bullet> Post-Call Assessment and Outcomes--This section will
replace the following sections: Sponsor Interview, UAC Interview, Case
Manager Observation and Action Follow-Up, UAC May be in Immediate
Danger, UAC May be Unsafe, UAC May Have Been Sexually Abused or
Harassed While in ORR Care, Additional Support Services or LOPC
Appointment, and Case Manager Certification. The new section adds 5 new
questions. The section also retains, and in some cases builds on,
questions on whether the phone was disconnected, sponsor participation,
whether the child appears to be in immediate danger, whether the child
or sponsor should be assessed for additional PRS, post-call actions
taken, and reasons for elevation (if applicable).
Discharge Plan (Form R-9)
ORR care providers are required to conduct discharge planning for
children who are not likely to be released to a sponsor, may obtain a
form of lawful immigration relief, are projected to have a prolonged
stay in ORR care, and/or will soon turn age 18 and age out of ORR care.
Discharge planning is a participatory process that takes into
consideration the wishes and goals of the child and includes
consultation with the child's legal services provider, attorney of
record, child advocate, and other stakeholders (e.g., parents, legal
guardian in home country) as applicable. Case managers engage in
concurrent planning, whenever possible, to ensure there are multiple
options included in the child's discharge plan.
ORR developed this instrument to improve and standardize the
process for discharge planning across its national network of care
providers. The new instrument will collect information on the following
topics:
<bullet> Child's Basic Information
<bullet> Placement Information After Release
<bullet> Financial Plan
<bullet> Education and Career Plan
<bullet> Community Resources Plan
<bullet> Residential Plan
<bullet> UC Program Family Group
<bullet> Case Management Needs
<bullet> Family Unification Plan
<bullet> Legal Services Plan
<bullet> Voluntary Departure Plan
<bullet> Release to DHS ICE Field Office Juvenile Coordinator Upon Age
Out
<bullet> Transportation Plan
<bullet> Health Discharge Safety Plan
<bullet> Behavioral Health Support Summary
<bullet> Summary of Strengths and Life Skills
The Legal Services Plan section of this instrument will replace
Post Legal Status Plan (Form L-8), which is currently approved under
OMB# 0970-0565. ORR plans to submit a nonsubstantive change request to
discontinue Form L-8 soon.
Respondents: ORR grantee and contractor staff; and released
children and sponsors.
Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual number Average burden
Information collection title Annual number of responses hours per Annual total
of respondents per respondent response burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Verification of Release (Form R-1)............. 300 428 0.17 21,828
Discharge Notification (Form R-2)--Current UC 300 487 0.17 24,837
Portal........................................
Release Request (Form R-4)--Current UC Portal-- 300 430 0.42 54,180
Care Provider.................................
Release Request (Form R-4)--Current UC Portal-- 170 756 0.33 42,412
Case Coordinator..............................
Release Request (Form R-4)--Modernized UC 300 430 0.58 74,820
Portal--Care Provider.........................
Release Request (Form R-4)--Modernized UC 170 756 0.50 64,260
Portal--Case Coordinator......................
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--Current 128,487 1 0.25 32,122
Excel--Sponsor................................
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--Current 128,487 1 0.25 32,122
Excel--Child..................................
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--Current 40 19,273 0.75 578,190
Excel--PRS Provider...........................
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--Sponsor.. 128,487 3 0.25 96,365
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--Child.... 128,487 3 0.25 96,365
Virtual Check-In Questionnaire (R-6)--PRS 40 19,273 0.58 447,134
Provider......................................
Discharge Plan (Form R-9)...................... 300 11 2.00 6,600
Program Exit Processing (Form R-10)--Modernized 300 487 0.25 36,525
UC Portal.....................................
----------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Annual Burden Hours Total........ .............. ............... .............. 1,607,760
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 927]]
Authority: 6 U.S.C. 279; 8 U.S.C. 1232; Flores v. Reno Settlement
Agreement, No. CV85-4544-RJK (C.D. Cal. 1996).
Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-00077 Filed 1-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-45-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 8, 2024.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.