Catholic Charities Fort Worth has a zealous goal to end poverty in our community, one family at a time. This takes many forms, and as you’ve seen lately on the news, one of those is by caring for some of the most vulnerable members of our society— children.
As a partner with the federal government through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Charities Fort Worth provides care for unaccompanied children as well as unaccompanied refugee minors and has done so for many years. Unaccompanied children can mean both children separated from their parents and children who arrive at the border alone. Children are referred via one of two of the agency’s programs – International Foster Care or the Catholic Charities Assessment Center.
These children are welcomed with love, offered clean, new clothes to provide them with dignity, and given their own beds and chests of drawers. For some, it is the first time they’ve ever had anything to call their own. Catholic Charities also coordinates medical exams including vaccinations and testing, and assists the children in meeting with a lawyer and screening them for legal cases (including trafficking). The agency’s team also works hard to identify and assess reunification opportunities with U.S. resident relatives with whom the children can live while they await the outcome of their immigration proceedings.
Children that are not able to be reunited and are eligible for legal status are placed into long-term care through Catholic Charities’ International Foster Care (IFC) Program. IFC partners with foster families to provide children who have fled their country of origin with a safe, nurturing, culturally sensitive environment that equips and empowers them to reach their full potential.
How can you help?
Catholic Charities is always grateful for any monetary donation, which allows the organization to serve unaccompanied children and carry out its mission to end poverty in this community. Gift cards to Target or Wal-Mart are another great option. Or, you can contribute to a welcome box for the children. A full list of needs can be found on the website here.
For those interested in the International Foster Care Program, Catholic Charities is also recruiting foster parents. For more information about this and other opportunities, email ifc@ccdofw.org.
Catholic Charities is one of 20 wonderful nonprofit organizations featured in The Greatest Gift Catalog Ever, a proud partner with NBC 5.
