81% of Refugee Students in Worcester Went on to College in 2014

Monday, January 12, 2015

Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor

In 2014, 81% of the minors served by the Ascentria Care Alliance Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program in Worcester went on to college.

“Ascentria Care Alliance URM program offers weekly tutoring groups at its Worcester office as well as other psycho-educational groups such as Healthy Relationships throughout the year. Overall, the program sees fantastic rates of success, in 2014, 21 URMs graduated from high school and 81% of this group went on to college,” said Teri Hagerty, Marketing and Communications Manager for Ascentria.

By definition, an unaccompanied minor is any refugee under the age of 18 who is not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is apprehended by immigration authorities.

During 2014, Ascentria Care Alliance Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program served 199 minors in the state of Massachusetts. Of those minors served, 77 were placed in Worcester, Massachusetts. Of the 77 minors in Worcester, roughly 50 were served by Worcester Public Schools. The remaining minors attended local community colleges or universities. They also participated in GED programs or joined JobCorps.

Minors in Worcester are placed with foster parents or therapeutic foster parents if attending middle school or high school. For many minors attending college, they often either board at a former foster home or live independently with other minors in a shared apartment.

How Did the Children Get Here?

What is the Impact on Worcester?

According to the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), "The impact on the local community is minimal. Shelters are operated by non-profit organizations, generally as group homes. Most shelters care for fewer than 50 unaccompanied children. These shelters are consistently quiet and good neighbors in the communities where they are located. ORR pays for and provides all services for the children while they are in care at a shelter. This includes providing food, clothing, education, medical screening, and any needed medical care to the children. Children spend fewer than 35 days on average at the shelters and do not integrate into the local community. They remain under staff supervision at all times."

The Center for Disease Control and Protection adamantly states that refugee children entering communities pose little to no heath risk of spreading diseases throughout a community. And as far as a the welcoming community's safety, refugees are typically fleeing a violent situation in their home country. According to the ORR, "When they are placed in a standard shelter, they are, as a rule, relieved to be in a safe and caring environment where they can wait for a sponsor to arrive to take custody."