Residential (group home, shelter, transitional foster care) services for unaccompanied alien children - compass connections is a federally funded residential shelter program within the office of…

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, awarded Compass Connections a $195.551 million cooperative agreement on April 1, 2026, under CFDA 93.566 (Refugee and Entrant Assistance State/Replacement Designee Administered Programs) to provide residential shelter, transitional foster care, and long-term foster care services for unaccompanied alien children.

Compass Connections operates staff-secure residential facilities in San Antonio, Texas (36 beds) and Fairfield, California (18 beds), along with larger emergency shelter capacity at Cameron and Henderson in Cameron County, Texas (416 beds and 144 beds respectively). The organization delivers housing, medical care, education, mental health support, comprehensive background checks, sponsor vetting, and case management services using a trauma-informed approach. The program identifies and vets suitable sponsors and reunites children with vetted sponsors in the least restrictive environment while maintaining ongoing case management and support.

Performance runs through March 31, 2029, with place of performance in Texas. This award is one of five new residential services cooperative agreements Compass Connections received from ORR on April 1, 2026, each with three-year performance periods through March 31, 2029. Compass Connections has received $5.06 billion in combined obligated funding across 18 ORR cooperative agreements since January 2023, operating exclusively within the ORR portfolio and delivering residential services, home study and post-release services, and National Human Trafficking Hotline operations.

Residential (group home, shelter, transitional foster care) services for unaccompanied alien children - compass connections is a federally funded residential shelter program within the office of refugee resettlement (ORR) that provides temporary care and services for unaccompanied alien children arriving in the united states without parents or legal guardians. The program ensures children receive essential services including housing, medical care, education, and mental health support while identifying and vetting suitable sponsors through comprehensive background checks. The primary objective is to safely reunite children with vetted sponsors in the least restrictive environment while maintaining ongoing case management and support services.