San Fernando Valley Refugee Children Center
Remote Legal Case Assessment for SFVRCC's participants
Our refugee, asylum seeker participants will be able to access free of cost, reputable legal case assessment remotely while staying safe at home during this pandemic.
Posted May 15, 2020
Background & Context
Legal case assessment for SFVRCC’s Participants
The SFVRCC does not offer legal advice to its unaccompanied minor participants and their families who fled their home country from life-threatening violence. We refer our participants for legal consultations to immigration attorney volunteers. We hope to expand our existing attorney volunteer network with new immigration attorneys who can offer legal consultations remotely according to their availability.
Work & Deliverables
Legal case assessment for SFVRCC’s Participants
After referring participants to immigration attorney volunteers, we hope to expand our existing attorney volunteer network who can offer legal consultations remotely according to their availability.
San Fernando Valley Refugee Children Center
Background: Although the surge of unaccompanied minors at the border has somewhat subsided, it is still estimated that over 175,227* unaccompanied children have fled violence, persecution, and impoverishment in Central America and made their way into the US from 2015 to 2019 FY. It is expected that thousands of children and families will continue to undertake the harrowing journey. A large portion of these children would qualify for refugee status if provided the right legal representation. Upon arrival, they are placed with relatives and sponsors. This violent displacement of so many underprivileged children from Central America is a humanitarian crisis. Unfortunately, the challenges faced by unaccompanied minors and their families will be for post-release services when they are placed with relatives or sponsors, particularly legal assistance, mental health, and other family support services. Southern California is receiving the second largest number of unaccompanied minors of any region in the country. Their relatives or sponsors are often vulnerable themselves and ill-equipped to deal with such a challenge. They are provided no funds for legal assistance or other family services. Mission: The Mission of the San Fernando Valley Refugee Children Center in North Hills is to be a healing embrace to the hundreds of unaccompanied children who have made the perilous journey from Central America to seek refuge in the San Fernando Valley. Our overarching goal is to reach out to these children and their families and offer our center as a place of welcome and healing through partnerships with community organizations to provide for basic needs, services and resources.
San Fernando Valley Refugee Children Center
Background: Although the surge of unaccompanied minors at the border has somewhat subsided, it is still estimated that over 175,227* unaccompanied children have fled violence, persecution, and impoverishment in Central America and made their way into the US from 2015 to 2019 FY. It is expected that thousands of children and families will continue to undertake the harrowing journey. A large portion of these children would qualify for refugee status if provided the right legal representation. Upon arrival, they are placed with relatives and sponsors. This violent displacement of so many underprivileged children from Central America is a humanitarian crisis. Unfortunately, the challenges faced by unaccompanied minors and their families will be for post-release services when they are placed with relatives or sponsors, particularly legal assistance, mental health, and other family support services. Southern California is receiving the second largest number of unaccompanied minors of any region in the country. Their relatives or sponsors are often vulnerable themselves and ill-equipped to deal with such a challenge. They are provided no funds for legal assistance or other family services. Mission: The Mission of the San Fernando Valley Refugee Children Center in North Hills is to be a healing embrace to the hundreds of unaccompanied children who have made the perilous journey from Central America to seek refuge in the San Fernando Valley. Our overarching goal is to reach out to these children and their families and offer our center as a place of welcome and healing through partnerships with community organizations to provide for basic needs, services and resources.