Welcoming Immigrant Children
Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children seek refuge in the United States each year. Most are fleeing threats and violence in El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras.
These children are released from Office of Refugee Resettlement custody into the care of a sponsor. Most (85%) join a relative or friend already living in the United States. It is often a tough transition. They adjust to new communities, cultures, languages and family units. Each child has mental health, safety, education and legal needs that must be met.
They are facing a new world, and they are doing it with very limited help. This is where CWS Charlotte comes in.
Give
Join us in our vision of creating a welcoming North Carolina where immigrant children enjoy the resources, freedoms, and opportunities to thrive.
Make a gift to CWS Charlotte today.
Multiply Your Impact
This program is vital, not only for the children that will have fuller lives because of it, but for our legacy as a country of hope.
Home Study & Post Release Services for Unaccompanied Children
In our Home Study and Post Release Services program, CWS Charlotte works with unaccompanied children and their sponsors.
In the Home Study part of the program, we will visit the homes where children will be living before they get there. We will interview each member of the household and ensure this is a safe placement for the child while supporting the sponsor to prepare for the responsibility of promoting the arriving child’s safety, rights and needs.
Once the child is living with their sponsor, the Post Release Services component of our work starts. CWS caseworkers will work with the children and sponsors to create an action plan. They will set goals like finishing school, obtaining a legal immigration status or connecting to other community support systems. Then we will check in with the child and their sponsors at least once a month to make sure the child is safe and making progress. The entire process will take place in whatever language the child and their sponsor are most comfortable speaking.
Our Team
Office
Gricelda de la Cruz
Office Director
Services
CC
Carol Chadwick
HS PRS Supervisor
MA
Maribel Alston
HS PRS Case Manager
AA
Ashley Aponte
HS PRS Case Manager
VB
Valeria Bermejo
HS PRS Case Manager
MC
Maria Colmont
HS PRS Case Manager
CF
Carlos Figueroa-Valentin
HS PRS Case Manager
TL
Tanya Gil Loya
HS PRS Assistant Case Manager
EL
Emely Perez Lizardo
HS PRS Case Manager
YR
Yarelin Rivera
HS PRS Case Manager
NF
Nicole Fortoso
Community engagement associate
Join Our Team
