Grants / Department of Health and Human Services / Administration for Children and Families - ORR

HHS-2024-ACF-ORR-ZU-0086: Unaccompanied Children Lived Experience and Youth Engagement Program

Closed Closed December 20, 2024 Opportunity HHS-2024-ACF-ORR-ZU-0086 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Residential Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children (HHS-2027-ACF-ORR-ZU-0045). Status: Closes December 29, 2026 (52 days left). It is in our archive of Administration for Children and Families - ORR notices from 2024.

• Award ceiling$1.8 million
• Award floor$1.0 million
• Total funding$1.8 million
• Expected awards1
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeCooperative Agreement

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.

None Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements of 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., ACF will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization's religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses, businesses.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Past Unaccompanied Alien Children Program awards averaged $20.6 million; this notice allows up to $1.8 million per award.
• Most of the program's money (94% over five years) went to nonprofits.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

The Unaccompanied Children Lived Experience and Youth Engagement Program (LEYEP) is forecasted to provide funding to establish, manage, and evaluate a Lived Experience Council and Youth Leadership Academy (as a subgroup of the Council) comprised of former unaccompanied children and individuals who sponsored children from ORR care. The recipient shall recruit, identify, orient, and train lived experience experts that reflect the demographic diversity (e.g., age, language, etc.) and varied experiences and circumstances (e.g., pregnant/parenting youth, survivors of human trafficking, etc.) of former unaccompanied children and sponsors. Therefore, prior experience developing programming centering lived experience and youth voice and/or supporting unaccompanied children, sponsors, and reunified families is highly desirable. The program's primary objective is to provide research and reporting on best practices for working with individuals with lived experience with the ORR Unaccompanied Children Program, their integration into the United States, and post-release outcomes. This research and reporting will focus on best practices in serving unaccompanied children and ensure that such children are protected from traffickers and other persons seeking to victimize or otherwise engage such children in criminal, harmful, or exploitative activity. The second objective is to positively impact the lives of Council members by building their capacity to serve as leaders within their respective communities. The recipient shall provide the necessary resources, such as personnel, to support the implementation of the lived experience bodies.

Category: Income Security and Social Services.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, HHS-2027-ACF-ORR-ZU-0045, which is open now.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.