Research Spotlight: Dr. Robert G. Hasson III
2020-2021
Primary Needs for Unaccompanied Children Receiving Post Release Services in the United States
- Principal Investigator: Robert G. Hasson III, Ph.D., LICSW – Assistant Professor, Providence College
- Antonia Diaz-Valdez, Ph.D., MSW – Assistant Professor, Society and Health Research Center, Universidad Mayor-Chile
- Caitlin Corbett – Research Assistant, Providence College
In 2019, a record 69,488 unaccompanied children (UC) arrived to the United States (US) border. Some UC in the US are provided Post Release Services (PRS), or community-based case management services that help UC adjust to new communities and access school, health, and legal supports.
This report provides an overview of the primary PRS needs UC report upon their arrival to the US border and summaries of the univariate and bivariate statistics for three primary PRS needs. Administrative data used in the report were shared by Heartland Alliance International, a national nonprofit that provides contracts and consultation for community-based agencies that support UC in the US. The sample includes all UC who received PRS by Heartland Alliance International partner agencies in FY 2019 (N=851). Most UC in the sample migrated to the US from Guatemala (45.36%), Honduras (33.14%), and El Salvador (13.40%). Results of the report indicate the three most common primary PRS needs in 2019 were education (25.70%), individual mental services, health (23.50%), and family stabilization (19.04%). The report also summarizes key bivariate analyses.
