Reported Experiences of Staff at Fort Bliss Emergency Intake Site
A surge in arrivals of unaccompanied children in spring of 2021 resulted in a dramatic rise in referrals to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a program office in the Administration for Children and Families. To accommodate these children, ORR established Emergency Intake Sites (EISs)—temporary, unlicensed mass care provider facilities designed to meet basic standards of care for children on a short-term basis when ORR's permanent, licensed facilities and Influx Care Facilities are unable to accommodate new arrivals. ORR opened its largest EIS at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, on March 30, 2021, to care for up to 10,000 children. In the months since Fort Bliss EIS (Fort Bliss) opened, several individuals have raised concerns about the quality of case management provided there, and its negative impact on children's safety and well-being. This review will analyze interviews and on-site observations regarding case management challenges at Fort Bliss that may have impeded the safe and timely release of children to sponsors. This oversight will help ensure that Fort Bliss and other EISs provide adequate case management services.
Announced or Revised | Agency | Title | Component | Report Number(s) | Expected Issue Date (FY) |
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Completed | Administration for Children and Families | Reported Experiences of Staff at Fort Bliss Emergency Intake Site | Office of Evaluation and Inspections | OEI-07-21-00251 | 2022 |