New Program to Aid Refugee Women and Children in U.S.

The IRC has been awarded a major grant by the federal government to help refugee women, children and adolescents become fully integrated into their communities in the United States.  The effort will focus on six cities deemed to have the greatest need for such assistance: Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Raleigh and Salt Lake City.  Bob Carey, vice president, resettlement, said the program will draw on the IRC’s considerable experience in launching successful projects for refugee women and their pre-school-age children in San Diego and Atlanta and for Somali youth in Boston.  The IRC will award sub-grants of up to $150,000 each to three of the six chosen cities through a competitive selection process.  The funds will go to local service providers and aid organizations that are working with refugees, said Cathryn Magno, the lead technical advisor for the program, which is funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.