Cooperative Agreement 90ZU0696

Lutheran Social Services of the South, Inc. (doing business as Upbring) received a $4.0 million Cooperative Agreement from the Office of Refugee Resettlement under the Refugee and Entrant Assistance State/Replacement Designee Administered Programs (CFDA 93.566) awarded April 1, 2026, with performance through March 31, 2029. The award funds a federally designated residential transitional foster care (TFC) program that provides temporary shelter, housing, and comprehensive supportive services to unaccompanied alien children arriving in the United States without parents or legal guardians. Key service components include medical care, education, mental health support, and case management designed to facilitate safe reunification with vetted sponsors.

The program prioritizes identifying and conducting comprehensive background checks on potential sponsors while maintaining ongoing support services to ensure children are placed in the least restrictive appropriate environment. By combining immediate crisis care with longer-term case management and sponsor vetting activities, the award supports the federal government's objective of safely transitioning vulnerable minors from initial reception and care into stable, sponsor-supervised placements while providing continuity of support throughout the transition process.