Building Government Capacity for Post-Arrival and Reintegration Assistance to Unaccompanied Children Returning to El Salvador and Honduras

The number of Central American minors traveling north has risen from an annual figure of approximately 7,000 in the immediate years leading up to 2012 to 13,000 in 2012. The percentage of those originating from Honduras (27%) and El Salvador (25%) has been by far the majority. By the end of 2014, it is expected that the number could soar to over 90,000.

In response to these challenges this project (in coordination with other USAID funded initiatives) will strengthen institutional capacities to care and reintegrate unaccompanied children. Focusing on both El Salvador and Honduras, this project, will increase governments’ capacities to:

1) Implement the inter-institutional reintegration assistance protocol in Honduras and update and disseminate the existing reintegration assistance protocol for unaccompanied children migrants in El Salvador.
2) Provide during post-arrival service delivery, including technical assistance to provide psychological support to children returnees at entry points.
3) Provide reintegration support, including technical assistance in family tracing, psychosocial support to children and families, community advocacy with local governments and local private sectors to providing assistance to returnees through scholarships and income-generation projects.