Summary of revisions to the ORR-4 Report Form

ORR-4 Report Form Summary of Revisions

What is the ORR-4 Report? The ORR-4 Report Form collects annual progress and outcome data for participants in the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) Program. Specifically, it collects information on education and personal functioning of the youth, permanency and family reunification activities, and transition to adulthood services and outcomes.

History and purpose of current revision: The ORR-4 Report Form went through a major revision in 2010. Prior to 2010, the ORR-4 had contained only the annual report component on education and personal functioning. Starting with the 2010 revision, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) incorporated baseline and follow-up reports to perform the following two functions: (1) track the independent living services states provide to youth; and (2) develop outcome measures, which mirror the Children’s Bureau’s National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) outcome data collection on youth formally in the domestic foster care system. In 2013, the ORR-4 was incorporated into ORR’s Refugee Arrivals Data System. For the 2013 and 2016 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approvals, the form remained mostly the same and was approved with no substantial changes. Based on review of trends, states’ feedback on report form submissions, and data quality concerns, ORR is proposing revisions to improve clarity, secure outcome-based data, increase compliance with reporting requirements, and reduce burden. The proposed changes to the ORR-4 will reduce estimated burden of data collection by 27 percent¹ for states, providers, and URM participants.

Revision Highlights

• Elimination: ORR removed the baseline report for youth who enter the URM program at 17 years of age, as it was determined unnecessary. Other data elements were eliminated because either ORR was not using the data or the information is collected through other means. This includes adherence to safety plan, date of permanency plan review, communication with family members, and funding source information for medical coverage and independent living services.

• Addition: Data elements that are part of ORR’s new focus on outcome-based data collection and assessment were added. These include English Language Learner support and caseworker/ provider assessment of youth readiness for independent living. Primary permanency goal was also added to enhance compliance with ORR requirement on ongoing family reunification efforts and to align with changes in Federal child welfare law.

  • Consolidation: Education, grade and school levels, and curricula data elements were streamlined into one. Family reunification elements were also streamlined.

• Modification: Phrasing of section titles or data elements were modified to simplify or improve clarity.

All proposed changes, including justifications, are outlined in the following table:

Section in Current ORR-4 Form	Section in Proposed ORR-4 Form	Changes	Justifications
I. Report Action Baseline Report for youth 17 and above	N/A	Eliminated	Reduce burden. ORR determined that the baseline report didn’t “match” the baseline collection of the NYTD occurring with domestic foster youth. The URM population, distinct from children and youth in domestic foster care, enter foster care at an older age (i.e., a majority of youth enter the URM program between ages 16-17) and tend to remain in foster care until age 21. Their domestic counterparts tend to enter foster care at a younger age and leave care at age 18. Considering the differences in entry age and exit age, it became apparent that collecting a baseline report on independent living outcomes was unnecessary, as the first annual outcome report allows for collection of this data.
III. Education and Personal Functioning of the Youth 1. Education 1.a. Current school grade level 1.b. Current school level and additional curricula	III. Education and Personal Functioning of the Youth 1. Education Information 1.a. Most Recent Education and Grade Level, if applicable	Consolidated	Grade and school level were often incorrectly completed by providers, so reports were returned for correction, creating burden. Incorporated feedback from states on education settings and grade levels; streamlined to improve data validity and reliability.
III. Education and Personal Functioning of the Youth 1.c. Remedial services	N/A	Eliminated	Many URM youth receive additional educational support, such as English Language Learning, which was often misreported as remedial services.
III. Education and Personal Functioning of the Youth 1.d. Educational or vocational skills, certificates or diplomas, obtained by youth 16 and younger	N/A	Eliminated	Youth 16 and younger very rarely obtain vocational skills, certificates, or diplomas. Also, this data is collected on older youth (ages 17 and above) in Section VI.
N/A	III. Education and Personal Functioning of the Youth 1.b. Youth is receiving English Language Learner support	Added	Enhance compliance with ORR-required service. Also, this is part of ORR’s new outcome-based data collection and assessment.
III. Education and Personal Functioning of the Youth 2. Medical Coverage	N/A	Eliminated	Reduce burden. ORR receives medical coverage information through the State Plan and ORR-1.
III. Education and Personal Functioning of the Youth 3. Caseworker/ Provider Assessment -Adherence to Safety Plan	III. Education and Personal Functioning of the Youth 2. Caseworker/ Provider Assessment -Readiness to Live Independently	Eliminated / Added	Eliminated “Adherence to Safety Plan,” as not all URMs need or have safety plans. In addition, ORR was not using this data. If ORR is interested in this information, it can be collected from the local URM provider. Added assessment of “Readiness to Live Independently” to collect outcome-based data.
IV. Family Reunification 1. Date of most recent permanency plan review	N/A	Eliminated	ORR does not need to collect this data, as it has no use for it. This information is maintained at the local provider level.
N/A	IV. Family Reunification 1.a. The youth’s most recent primary permanency goal	Added	Enhance compliance with ORR regulatory requirement on family reunification efforts. Also aligns with Federal child welfare law, requiring permanency planning for foster youth. Especially important in URM program locations with little to no court oversight of cases.
IV. Family Reunification 2. Family reunification efforts in the U.S. a. Parents or relatives in U.S. being assessed for reunification, including name, relationship, and location	IV. Family Reunification 2. Family reunification efforts with parents or relatives in the U.S.	Modified	Reduce burden. ORR does not need name, relationship, and location of URM clients’ family members. This information is maintained at the local provider level.
IV. Family Reunification 3. Family tracing and reunification with relatives in other countries a. Assessment for reunification, including name, relationship, and location b. Significant developments c. Decision not to reunify	IV. Family Reunification 3. There have been family tracing efforts with parents or relatives in other countries for the purpose of reunification. -If Yes, describe family tracing efforts	Consolidated	Reduce burden. Relatives are rarely found through tracing efforts. ORR does not need this level of detail on family tracing efforts; this information is maintained at the local provider level.
IV. Family Reunification 4. Communication with family members	N/A	Eliminated	Reduce burden. ORR does not need this level of detail on URM clients’ family members. This information is maintained at the local provider level.
V. Independent Living Services	V. Transition to Adulthood Services	Modified	Align with language in the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018.
V. Independent Living Services Funding sources for d- q service types	N/A	Eliminated	Reduce burden. Funding source information is not needed at the individual level and is dependent on custody arrangement, which is already known to ORR. ORR also receives this information through the State Plan and ORR-1.
VI. Independent Living Outcomes	VI. Outcomes	Modified	Simplify section headings.
VI. Independent Living Outcomes “N/A” option under Responses	N/A	Eliminated	“N/A” option is unnecessary. If an outcome element is not applicable, response can be marked as “No.”

1 Based on the difference in estimated burden hours from 2016 OMB renewal and proposed burden hours for this renewal.

2