These minors enter the U.S. with refugee status and are placed directly into foster care at the time of arrival. A few examples are listed below. In other situations, a relative may be unwilling to continue caring for a minor who is not their own child, leaving a child at risk for abandonment or homelessness. This is sometimes the case when there is conflict between a teenager and a non-parental relative caregiver. In other cases, adolescents have decided to try making it on their own, unaware of how difficult that can be.
Some minors can be returned to the home under supervision, others require long-term foster care.
These cases may put a minor at risk if not monitored, or the adult caregiver may never have intended to be the guardian for the child. These include minors granted asylum by an Immigration Judge, as well as minors granted asylum through an INS Asylum Office. Minors must enter refugee foster care prior to their 18th birthday. After age 18, continued participation in the program is voluntary. Refugee foster care includes a comprehensive set of services and financial supports, designed to assist with a youth's resettlement adjustment, provide for a youth while obtaining an education, and prepare each youth for eventual independence.