DHHS, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement

This report summarizes findings from The Lewin Group’s evaluation of the Refugee Social Service (RSS) and Targeted Assistance Formula Grant (TAG) programs. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) administers these programs and sponsored an evaluation to assess how program services are delivered and how refugees who receive them fare over time. RSS and TAG services aim at helping refugees overcome barriers to employment and integration into the United States. The study focuses on refugees in three sites—Houston, Miami, and Sacramento—who entered the country between 2000 and 2004. It relies on administrative and programmatic data, a survey of refugees, and information collected through interviews with service providers and focus groups with program participants. The study documents differences across the sites with regard to which refugee groups they served, the approaches taken for delivering services, and the emphasis placed on ESL instruction versus rapid employment. The report also presents employment, income, and public assistance outcomes of service recipients.

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