To
develop alternative projects which promote early employment of refugees,
including certain Amerasian immigrants, Cuban and Haitian entrants,
asylees, and certified victims of a severe form of trafficking.
States, voluntary resettlement agencies, and other resettlement
organizations may develop innovative approaches for the provision
of refugee cash and medical assistance, social services, and case
management otherwise available through the State-administered program.
The purposed of these alternative projects is to provide integrated
services and cash assistance in order to increase refugees' prospects
for early employment and self-sufficiency, reduce their level of
welfare dependence, and promote coordination among voluntary resettlement
agencies and services providers. Projects must serve all eligible
refugees in a community.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
The
Wilson/Fish demonstration program diverts a portion of funds earmarked
for the State-administered program for refugee cash and medical
assistance and social service to conduct alternative projects which
promote refugee early employment and self- sufficiency. Funds may
be used only for the purposes set forth in the grant award. Assistance
is limited to refugees, including Cuban and Haitian entrants and
Amerasian immigrants and their accompanying family members, as defined
in the authorizing Acts. The refugee must document his immigration
status in order to be eligible for assistance. Federal policy governs
other eligibility factors. The scope of services available to refugees
from Wilson/Fish grantees is similar to that of State-administered
Refugee Resettlement Programs, which in turn is similar to regular
domestic public assistance programs.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: States, voluntary resettlement
agencies, and other nonprofit refugee resettlement organizations
may apply to initiate an alternative program. No separate funding
is appropriated for Wilson/Fish demonstration projects. Funds are
drawn instead from funds earmarked for refugee cash and medical
assistance grants and social services allocations for the State-administered
program (93.566) according to ORR projections.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Refugees, certain Amerasian immigrants,
Cuban/Haitian entrants, asylees, and victims of a severe of trafficking
are eligible for services and assistance through funded projects
in a community. Cash assistance is transitional for up to 8 months;
services may be provided for a longer period of time.
Credentials/Documentation:
Persons for whom assistance is authorized are limited to the following
groups of aliens with appropriated documentation from the Immigration
and Naturalization Service (INS): (1) Refugees admitted under
section 207 of the INA and asylees admitted under section 208;
(2) Cuban and Haitian entrants with documentation from the INS
as to status allowed under section 501 of the Refugee Education
Assistance Act of 1980; and certain Amerasian immigrants from
Vietnam admitted under section 584 of the Foreign Operations,
Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act (1988)
or title II of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related
Programs Appropriations Acts of 1989, 1990, and 1991. Cost principles
for nonprofit organizations will be determined by OMB Circular
No. A-122. Cost principles for State and local governments are
found under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Pre-application
Coordination: The Office of Refugee Resettlement
is available to answer questions concerning the standing program
announcement. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application
Procedure: Awards are granted on a competitive
basis, as specified in the program announcements. Each agency
desiring to respond to a program announcement is required to submit
an application to the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Applications are reviewed and evaluated pursuant to criteria specified
in the program announcement.
Award
Procedure: The Director of ORR makes the funding
decision of all grant awards. The Office of Financial Management
concurs on grants administration and policy compliance.
Deadlines:
Due dates for applications are March 31 and October 31.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 60 to 90
days.
Appeals:
Not applicable.
Renewals:
Renewals or extensions require additional approvals.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: This program has
no statutory formula or matching requirements.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Generally,
funds made available for this program will be for 1-year budget
periods, but may be for project periods for no longer than 4 years.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Progress reports and financial reports are required, usually on
a quarterly basis. Final program and financial reports summarizing
the activities and accomplishments of the project in relation to
the approved goals and objectives are also required.
Audits:
Periodic audits are made a part of the system of financial management
and internal control to meet terms and conditions of grants and
other agreements. "In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular
No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), Audits of States, Local Governments,
and Nonprofit Organizations, nonfederal entities that expend financial
assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single
or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal
entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards
are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except
as noted in Circular No. A-133."
Records:
Grant recipients are required to keep all financial, business
and program reports necessary for program review and audit to
insure that funds have been expended in accordance with the regulations,
grant terms, and conditions of the program.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 75-1503-0-1-609.
Obligations:
(Grants) FY 01 $13,100,304; FY 02 est $16,500,000; and FY 03 est
$16,500,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
In fiscal year 2001, the grants ranged from $450,466 to $5,459,655.
The average of grant amounts awarded is just under $2 million.
The range will be similar in FY 02.
In fiscal year 2001, five new projects were funded, one project
was approved to start a new project period, and three projects were
continued. Projects successfully provided incentives to refugees
to obtain early employment and assisted refugees to become self-sufficient.
Two new projects and nine continuation projects are anticipated
for fiscal year 2002. It is estimated that 11 continuation awards
but no new projects will be funded in fiscal year 2003.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Program announcements are published in the Federal Register. All
inquiries should be directed to the Information Contacts listed
below.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters
Office: For program information, contact Barbara
Chesnik, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children
and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, 6th Floor,
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington DC 20447. Telephone: (202)
401-4558. Use the same number for FTS. For grants administration
information, contact the Office of Financial Management, Administration
for Children and Families at the same address.
Web
Site Address: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/orr
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
1) A large state-administered project where the all the voluntary
agencies determine eligibility and are responsible for case management
of eligible refugees; 2) a private voluntary agency that administers
the cash and medical assistance, social services program for refugees
not otherwise eligible for TANF and/or Medicaid in a State in which
the State elected to not participate in the refugee program; and
3) a small voluntary agency project that administers provision of
cash assistance for all refugees for up to 8 months in a State that
has elected to continue to operate the social services and medical
assistance program.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Notice of the criteria for awarding funds is published in the Federal
Register or other program announcement for each type of demonstration.
See the Information Contact section for more information.
