HHS, Administration for Children & Families, OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE publication describing immigrant and citizen eligibility for TANF and which HHS funded programs are not subject to immigrant restrictions.
Publisher: Administration for Children and Families
[pdf] NJN PowerPoint Presentation (May 2, 2023) (+)
[pdf] HHS: Instructions Requests for Assistance for Child Victims of Human Trafficking (Current as of 2022) (+)
Provides instructions that professionals working with immigrant children who are victims of human trafficking (sex or labor) can us to file requests for assistance with HHS. These requests for assistance lead to issuance of child eligibility letters that make immigrant trafficked children eligible for federal and state public benefits to the same extent as refugees. Children must apply while they are under the age of 18. Eligibility letters once issues do not end and last until the child can apply for and be granted a T visa or lawful permanent residency through another form of immigration relief.
[pdf] Issuance of Child Eligibility Letters on or after Applicant’s 18th Birthday if Application Received Prior to 18th Birthday (May 11, 2016) (+)
Program Instruction for HHS, Administration on Children and Families, Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) explaining that when children file Requests for Assistance while the child is under the age of 19, if the child turns 18 during the HHS eligibility determination process and/or receives their HHS eligibility letter after they turn age 18, they remain able to receive and use the HHS eligibility letter indefinitely as a basis to receive federal and state public benefits to the same extent as refugees.
[pdf] Office on Trafficking in Persons Child Certification Handout (+)
This handout created by the Administration for Children and Families Office on Trafficking in Persons explains how to use a certification letter to obtain benefits and services.
[pdf] Office on Trafficking in Persons Adult Certification Handout (+)
This handout created by the Administration for Children and Families Office on Trafficking in Persons explains how to use a certification letter to obtain benefits and services.
[pdf] HHS Administration for Children and Families Trafficking Victim Adult Certification Handout (November 6, 2020) (+)
HHS handout for trafficking victims explaining how to use the HHS certification letter to obtain public benefits.
[pdf] Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Information Memorandum (2014) (+)
The memorandum provides guidance on how LIHEAP grantees use social security numbers and citizenship status information to provide assistance to applicants.
[pdf] Joint Letter from HUD, HHS, ad DOJ on Immigrant Access to Shelter and Transitional Housing (Aug 2016) (+)
[pdf] Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing for Immigrant Victims: Government Policies (February 10, 2017) (+)
This document brings together in one collection the polices issued by federal government agencies describing the legal rights of immigrant and Limited English Proficient (LEP) victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, human trafficking, child abuse, and the homeless to access emergency shelters and transitional housing from a wide array of programs offering these services who receive federal funding. The federal agency policies in this collection include policies issued by:
The U.S. Department of Justice (Office of Victims of Crime, Office on Violence Against Women)
The Health and Human Services (Family Violence Prevention)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
These policies provide the requirements for providers of emergency shelter, transitional housing and other programs offering services necessary to protect life and safety. this packet of policies will help advocates and attorneys working with immigrant survivors and immigrant children gain access to housing, services and assistance they are eligible to receive without regard to their immigration or LEP status.
[pdf] FAQ Access to FYSB-funded Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence _ Family and Youth Services Bureau _ Administration for Children and Families (2016) (+)
The document confirms that immigrant victims have access to HHS Family Violence Prevention Act funded services including shelter and intermediate/transitional housing. It also discusses that anti-discrimination laws that apply.
[pdf] HHS Cover Letter to FVPSA Grantees (2016) (+)
Cover letter to Tri-agency letter on immigrant access to services necessary to protect life and safety including shelter and transitional housing and crisis counseling and intervention.
[pdf] HUD-HHS-DOJ-Letter-Regarding-Immigrant-Access-to-Housing-and-Services (+)
This letter reiterates long standing federal policies that immigrants cannot be denied access to certain services necessary to protect life and safety based on their immigration status.
This letter reiterates that immigrants experiencing homelessness, victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking or human trafficking may not be turned away on the basis of immigration status from life and safety services including but not limited to emergency shelters, and short-term housing assistance (including transitional housing and rapid re-housing), crisis counseling and intervention, soup kitchens, community food banks, emergency Medicaid and public health services.
Importantly, this Tri-Agency letter describes the anti-discrimination requirements that apply to all federal grantees and the application of these protections to cases involving immigrants
[pdf] Head Start Programs Memo (+)
Clarification of policy regarding verification of the citizenship and immigration status of Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) applicants when non-profit organizations determine eligibility for the CCDF program and when a child receives combined CCDF and Head Start services.
[pdf] Clarification of Interpretation of “Federal Public Benefit” Regarding Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Services (+)
Title IV also requires providers of “Federal public benefits” to verify the immigration and citizenship status of all applicants, except for eligibility determinations made by non-profit charitable organizations. On September 23, 1998, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) sent all Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies a letter about the August 4, 1998, Federal Register notice that listed the CCDF among the programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that are subject to the verification requirements applicable to programs offering “Federal public benefits.” In that letter ACF said that it was considering how the “Federal public benefits” requirements related to the CCDF. After further research, ACF is offering additional guidance contained in this document.