Proposed Information Collection Activity; Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Unaccompanied Alien Child Health Forms

Current rules

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) proposes to consolidate and revise its Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC) health forms. Key proposed changes include: * Consolidating the Serious Medical Procedure Request (SMR) Form (OMB #: 0970-0561) under the Medical Assessment Form and Dental Assessment Form (OMB #: 0970-0466). * Renaming the consolidated collection (OMB #: 0970-0466) to "Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Unaccompanied Alien Child Health Forms." * Introducing revisions to the existing forms to enhance transparency, reduce administrative burden, improve data quality, and ensure compliance with ORR requirements. * Including provisions for sharing relevant health information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in specific circumstances, particularly when a child requiring daily health management is identified for repatriation, to ensure uninterrupted care.

Overview

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) proposes to restructure its information collection for Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC) health forms. This change involves moving the Serious Medical Procedure Request (SMR) Form under an existing collection, renaming the collection to "Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Unaccompanied Alien Child Health Forms," and revising the forms. The proposal also includes sharing relevant health information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under specific circumstances to ensure continuity of care. Public comments on this proposal are due by 5 October 2026.

What changed in the latest version

This plan makes the process of collecting health information for Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) simpler. It makes it easier for care providers to send in the necessary medical information. By combining forms and improving data quality, the changes aim to ensure UACs receive full and continuous medical, dental, and mental health care while they are in the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)'s care. The new rule about sharing health information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is very important. It helps make sure that children who need ongoing daily health management, if they return to their home country, do not stop receiving their vital medical treatment or needed support.

Explained simply

Imagine the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is like a big school that takes care of kids who've arrived in a new country without their parents. This school needs to keep track of every child's health, like whether they've had their shots or need to see a special doctor. Right now, they have a couple of separate folders for health records. One for general check-ups (like annual physicals) and another, special folder for kids needing big surgeries or treatments. This new plan is like saying, "Let's put all these health forms into one big, organized health folder, and give that folder a clear, simple name: 'ORR Kids' Health Forms'." They're doing this to make things simpler and clearer for everyone – the doctors, the nurses, and the staff. It’ll also make sure that if a child needs to move to another part of the government's care, their important health details go with them, so their care never stops. Think of it like making sure your new teacher gets all your old health records so they know how to best look after you.

Version history

1. v3Issued 5 Aug 2026ProposalLow impact
   Proposed Information Collection Activity; Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Unaccompanied Alien Child Health Forms

   The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) wants to change and update its health forms for Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs). An Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC) is a child who is not a British citizen or settled in the UK, has no lawful immigration status, is under 18 years old, and has no parent or legal guardian in the UK who can care for them. This change means putting the Serious Medical Procedure Request (SMR) Form under the Medical Assessment Form and Dental Assessment Form. It also means changing the name of collection number OMB # 0970-0466 to 'Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Unaccompanied Alien Child Health Forms'. The changes also allow sharing health information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in some cases. This is to make sure children continue to receive care. These changes aim to make things clearer, reduce workload, improve data, and meet ORR's rules.