For almost thirty-five years, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) has coordinated a network of Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) programs across the United States to provide care and custody for thousands of eligible children. From 2002 to 2013, the USCCB/MRS URM programs cared for 110 child victims of trafficking. This paper presents the features of the URM program model that most effectively meets the specialized needs of foreign-born child victims of human trafficking. Also shared below are key findings from the study related to individual outcomes for child victims of trafficking, the services and resources provided to child victims of trafficking, and the policies and practices of URM programs for the recruitment, training, and support of foster families and program staff.
The URM program, with its specific adaptations and accommodations to meet the specialized needs of foreign-born child victims, can serve as a national and international model for the care and integration of both foreign-born and national/citizen child victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
