Families & Children Programs - FAQs:

When children from other countries come into the United States unaccompanied by an adult and without a lawful immigration status in the US the HHS Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is responsible for:

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• Coordinating and implementing the care and placement of unaccompanied alien children who are in Federal custody by reason of their immigration status;
• Making and implementing placement determinations; overseeing the infrastructure and personnel of facilities in which the children reside;
• Reuniting children with guardians and/ or sponsors, when appropriate;
• Conducting investigations and inspections of facilities and other entities in which unaccompanied alien children reside.

A full continuum of care is available for these children, including shelter care, foster care, secure settings, and residential treatment, as needed. The majority of children are cared for through a network of shelter care facilities, located in Arizona, Texas, Florida, California, Washington, Illinois, Indiana, and New York. Facilities are state licensed and must meet ORR requirements.

Learn More:

• Unaccompanied Alien Children Program

The www.Benefits.gov Web site offers eligibility and contact information about all Federal programs that provide benefits or services. A list of all Health and Human Services programs is available on the site, as is a list Child Care/Child Support programs.

Most HHS assistance programs are available at the local and state levels. For more information see:

• State Informational Links: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/tanf-info.htm
   
• State Human Services Administrators: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/hs_dir2.htm
   
• Child Care Program State Contacts: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/ccdf/ccdf_state_territory_grantees.htm
   
• Child Care Program Tribal Contacts:
  
  Alphabetical by Tribe: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/ccdf/ccdf_tribal_grantees.htm
  
  Listed by State: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/ccdf/ccdf_tribal_grantees_by_state.htm
   
• Head Start Program Locator: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/HeadStartOffices

If you can't afford to pay your home energy bill, your home may not be safe, and you may be at risk of serious illness or injury. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a Federally-funded program to help eligible low income homeowners and renters meet their home heating and/or cooling needs.

The LIHEAP program in your community determines if your household's income qualifies for the program. The LIHEAP program may also require households to meet additional eligibility criteria to receive LIHEAP assistance. (NOTE: The availability of LIHEAP assistance is not guaranteed. Often most of the Federal LIHEAP funds are spent during the winter.)

For more information and where to apply, you can call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) project. NEAR is a free service providing information on where your can apply for LIHEAP. You can speak to someone at NEAR Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. (Mountain Time).

You can:

• Call the toll-free phone number at: 1-866-674-6327,
• send an e-mail to: energy@ncat.org, or
• you can contact your State's LIHEAP office

Just as there are various types of abuse and neglect, the symptoms of abuse and neglect may vary from child to child. Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children's Bureau, has a fact sheet that may be of interest to you:

Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Symptoms: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/signs.cfm

Other national organizations, such as the one listed below, have included information on some of the more common characteristics/symptoms of children who may be victims of child sexual abuse:

• National Children's Advocacy Center (http://www.nationalcac.org/ )
• See: Physical and Behavioral Indicators of Abuse at http://www.nationalcac.org/families/for_workers/abuse_indicators.html

(Please Note: Posting the resource above does not constitute an endorsement by the Children's Bureau nor does it guarantee the content of the Web site. This resource is provided for information sharing purposes.)

It is important to note that all States have a system to receive and respond to reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. If you suspect that a child is being harmed, you should report your concerns to the appropriate authorities, such as Child Protective Services (CPS), in the State where the child resides.

Each State has trained professionals who can evaluate the situation and determine whether intervention or services are needed. Many States have a toll-free number to call to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Please refer to the resource directory listing at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp.cfm?rs_id=5&rate_chno=11-11172for information about where to call to make a report in your State.

Another resource for information about how and where to file a report is the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline. Childhelp can be reached 24-hours a day, 7 days a week at its toll-free number, 1.800.4 A-CHILD  (1.800.422.4453).

State child abuse and neglect reporting laws do not specify the age at which a child can be left home alone. No consistent community standards exist describing when and under what circumstances children can be left alone or in the care of other children. Information about the age at which it is considered appropriate to leave a child alone may exist elsewhere in your local, county or State policies or ordinances that cover this special topic.

You may want to contact your local police department or child protective services agency for information about specific local regulations or ordinances. If you need help in locating your local child protective services agency, you may call Childhelp USA 24-hours a day, seven days a week at its toll-free number, 1.800.4-A CHILD (1.800.422.4453).

If you have concerns that a child is being left home alone inappropriately, you should report your concerns to the appropriate authorities, such as Child Protective Services (CPS), in the State in which the child resides. Each State has trained professionals who can evaluate the situation and determine whether intervention and services are needed. Most States have a toll-free number to call to report suspected abuse. Please refer to the resource directory listing at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp.cfm?rs_id=5&rate_chno= 11-11172 for information about where to call to make a report within your State.

Many national organizations have developed resources and guidelines to help parents make decisions on leaving their children home alone while they go to work, run errands, attend social events etc. Listed below are several examples of such guidelines:

• National Crime Prevention Council (http://www.ncpc.org)
  See:
  Leaving Kids Home Alone (http://www.ncpc.org/topics/violent-crime-and-personal-safety/copy_of_home-alone)
  At Home Alone: A Parent's Guide (http://www.ncpc.org/resources/files/pdf/neighborhood-safety/chalone.pdf)
   
• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (http://www.aacap.org)
  See: Home Alone Children (http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/homealon.htm)
   
• National Network for Child Care (http://www.nncc.org)
  See: Home Alone (http://www.nncc.org/SACC/sac31_home.alone.html)

(Note: Posting of non-government resources does not constitute an endorsement by the the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does it guarantee the contents nor privacy policies of the Web sites listed above. These resources are provided for information sharing purposes only.)

Contact the Head Start or Early Head Start agency serving your community. Your local Head Start agency will provide the required forms and answer questions about the program. The local agency will also help you find the Head Start Center closest to your home.

Finding a Program

To find a local Head Start or Early Head Start program to contact in your area, use the on-line national Head Start Program Search Tool at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/HeadStartOffices. Enter your Zip Code to find the program nearest to your home or work.

Contact the listed programs closest to your community, even if they are some distance away. These are the main program offices which can tell you if there is a Head Start center in your area. Many of the organizations found in the Search Tool operate additional Head Start centers that are not listed, so there may be a program closer to your home than it appears.

If you need more help to find a Head Start or Early Head Start program in your area, we would be happy to assist you. Call the Head Start Information and Publication Center toll-free at: 1-866-763-6481.

Eligibility

Children from birth to age five from families with low-income are eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start services. The Head Start Family Income Guidelines are available at: 2008 Family Income Guidelines. Also see, Head Start Program Definition of Income.

Other eligible categories of children include:

• Children from families receiving public assistance (TANF or SSI) are eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start services regardless of income.
• Children in foster care are Head Start eligible, regardless of family income.
• Ten percent of enrollments are offered to children with disabilities.
• Children who come from families with slightly higher income may be able to participate in Head Start when space is available. Your local program can discuss this with you.

If you are ineligible for Head Start, the Child Care Aware program can help you in locating other child care services in your community. To find the local child care resource and referral agency, please contact:

Child Care Aware

Toll-free: 800-424-2246
Web site: http://www.childcareaware.org/

The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program is run by states and counties and they are the best source of information about your case. If you are working with the agency, but are not getting support payments, contact the state CSE agency and ask them what more can be done. The state should be able to pull up the case and may have suggestions about other things to try. State CSE agency telephone numbers and addresses are at:

English: http://ocse.acf.hhs.gov/int/directories/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.extivdlist
Spanish: http://ocse.acf.hhs.gov/int/directories/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.extEspanolIVDAll

A number of states are developing secure sites for child support case information. Links to State CSE agency web sites are available on our Child Support web site at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/extinf.html

Many of them provide a link for asking questions. Most of them list the telephone numbers and addresses of the local CSE offices as well. In difficult cases you might write the state and Federal regional offices. If you write, include identifying information - such as both parents' names, case numbers, social security numbers - and ask them to review the case. Regional office contact information is at: http://ocse.acf.hhs.gov/int/directories/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.extregofficemap

Some cases are very difficult to enforce. If the other parent is able to work for cash, to hide income or assets, to move often, for example, the CSE agency may not be able to enforce the order. In these cases, provide as much information as you can. Tell the caseworker everything you can about where he or she lives and works and anything else that might help the caseworker to help you and your family. If you are not working with the CSE agency and would like to apply for services, you can ask your state or local CSE office how you can apply. Telephone numbers and addresses of your local office can be found on most state Web sites. Again, we link to those at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/extinf.html

For information about:

The role of the Federal Office:
http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/acfrightnow.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=15

Fraudulent transfer:
http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/acfrightnow.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=17

Bankruptcy and child support:
http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/acfrightnow.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=12

A parent who is not working, has no assets:
http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/acfrightnow.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=30

A parent who is evading the obligation:
http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/acfrightnow.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=36

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) awards competitive grants to applicants serving urban, suburban, rural, or tribal populations with substantial numbers of children of incarcerated parents to support the establishment and operation of mentoring programs. For information about this grant program, you may want to visit: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fbci/progs/fbci_mcp.html

Information about working with children of prisoners can be found at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/content/aboutfysb/yes_prisoners.htm

If unsure where to go for help, talk to someone you trust who has experience in mental health -- for example, a doctor, nurse, social worker, or religious counselor. Ask their advice on where to seek treatment. If there is a university nearby, its departments of psychiatry or psychology may offer private and/or sliding-scale fee clinic treatment options. Otherwise, check the Yellow Pages under "mental health," "health," "social services," "suicide prevention," "crisis intervention services," "hotlines," "hospitals," or "physicians" for phone numbers and addresses. In times of crisis, the emergency room doctor at a hospital may be able to provide temporary help for a mental health problem, and will be able to tell you where and how to get further help.

Locate a mental health service in your state: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/ (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration)

Additional resources: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/men-and-depression/getting-help/index.shtml (National Institutes of Mental Health)

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) expands health coverage to uninsured children whose families earn too much for Medicaid but too little to afford private coverage. For more information, visit www.insurekidsnow.gov or call toll free 1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669). This Web site and toll free number also provides information on Medicaid.

Community health centers provide health care regardless of your ability to pay and even if you have no health insurance. Find the community health center closest to you. Phone the community health center for more information or to make an appointment.

The Administration for Children and Families' Children???s Bureau Community Resource Packet, Promoting Healthy Families in Your Community: 2008 Resource Packet, for child abuse prevention is available at: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/res_packet_2008/.

Additional resources are available from the Prevention Web site at the Child Welfare Information Gateway at: http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/