In this photo provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, civilians prepare to board a plane during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. (Staff Sgt. Victor Mancilla/U.S. Marine Corps via AP)
SALT LAKE CITY — Catholic Community Services of Utah said it is beginning the process of resettling unaccompanied refugee minors from Afghanistan in its foster care program.
The Refugee Foster Care program is one of only a few similar programs throughout the U.S. It’s the only program that does this work in Utah.
They work with children that were separated from their families, or, orphaned in the process of leaving Afghanistan. According to CCS, the kids leave their homeland to escape persecution, war, military recruitment by the Taliban, abuse, and trafficking.
CCS has already settled more than 260 Afghan refugees in Utah through its Refugee Resettlement Program.
When a child enters CCS’s Refugee Foster Care Program, they are provided a home and a team of people to help. That includes coaches that help the kids prepare for long-term self-sufficiency.
CCS is asking for help from the community in this effort. Specifically, they need foster families willing to work with these children.
You can learn more about how to become a Refugee Foster Parent, here.