BCFS Health and Human Services Did Not Always Comply With Federal Requirements Related to Less-Than-Arm's-Length Leases

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), manages the Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) program. The UAC program served between 7,000 and 8,000 children annually from fiscal year (FY) 2005 through FY 2011. In FY 2012, however, the number of children entering the program began to increase, and in FY 2015, ORR served more than 33,000 children. As the number of children increased, so did the funding for the program. Because of the rapid increase of vulnerable children entering ORR care, and the significant increases in program funding, we are conducting a series of reviews of ORR care providers across the Nation.