Training Initiative Overview- Updated and Expanded!

In an on-going effort to ensure the safety and promote the well-being of unaccompanied undocumented children in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement / Division of Children’s Services (ORR/DCS), BRYCS first developed a training curriculum in 2008 on “Preventing Child Maltreatment in ORR-Funded Care Provider Programs,” and subsequently trained all ORR/DCS-funded care programs across the U.S.

This year, ORR/DCS and BRYCS updated and expanded the original “Tier One” curriculum to respond to recent legislation, such as the Violence Against Women Act, and to ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable children are recognized and addressed.  This Tier One curriculum covers professional ethics and boundaries; types of child maltreatment; and responding to, reporting, and preventing child abuse and neglect.

The new “Tier Two” curriculum builds on “Tier One” by encouraging participants to apply their acquired knowledge to the complex scenarios often encountered by program staff who care for the children in ORR/DCS care.  For each “real life” scenario, discussion centers on professional ethics and boundaries; child safety and maltreatment; who needs to know; and how best to respond at all levels of the organization. “Tier Two” creates an environment where care provider staff are motivated to articulate their current practices, assess gaps or difficulties, and then develop, implement and monitor practice improvements.

The curriculum, “Preventing Child Maltreatment in ORR-Funded Care Provider Programs,” was created and updated by a leading expert in the field of child abuse and culture, Dr. Lisa Aronson Fontes, together with BRYCS Director, Lyn Morland.

FACT: From FY 2005-2011, the UAC program served between 7-8,000 children annually. In FY 2012, however, the number of children entering the program began to increase, and by the end of the fiscal year, ORR served approximately 14,000 UAC. In FY 2013, the number of UAC served was almost 25,000; in FY 2014 approximately 60,000. The majority of children are fleeing from violence in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador with the goal of reuniting with parents or other family members already living in the U.S.

FACT: The BRYCS training model aims to build and reinforce professional connections between ORR/DCS-funded programs and local CPS staff and offices.

Training Materials

The following training materials are geared specifically to ORR/DCS-funded care provider programs and cover information about culturally competent child maltreatment prevention within the context of ORR/DCS services:

Highlighted Resources for DCS Staff

The following “Lists of Highlighted Resources” are lists of resources on various topics that are chosen by BRYCS staff.  Each list includes 15-20 resources that are frequently recommended by BRYCS staff when consulting with service providers and providing technical assistance.

  1. Preventing Child Maltreatment in ORR/DCS-Funded Care Provider Programs
  2. Home Studies with Immigrant Families

For Further Assistance

For more information regarding unaccompanied children please visit The Office of Refugee Resettlement’s Web page on the Division of Children’s Services (DCS). The BRYCS team is available to you for assistance with this curriculum and resources, your trainings, and other questions you may have about immigrant children and families – email us at info@brycs.org or call us toll free at 888-572-6500.