GREENSBORO — A New-York based company has been awarded a more than $177 million contract to provide consulting and assistance at a transitional housing and school site for unaccompanied immigrant children.
Online documents show the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the contract to Deployed Resources LLC to provide the services at a 100-acre Greensboro campus.
The federal agency has paid the company $37.7 million for a year’s worth of services through May 2023, but the contract is anticipated to extend through May 2027 — hence the $177 million.
Called the Greensboro Piedmont Academy Influx Care Facility for UC (unaccompanied minors), the site is expected to begin receiving children by Jan. 1, according to local leaders who attended a private information session.
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The Greensboro Piedmont Academy Influx Care Facility for Unaccompanied Children in Greensboro is shown on Tuesday. The campus has been leased by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to house and educate unaccompanied immigrant minors.
HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement is legally required to provide care for unaccompanied children referred by the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies until they are placed with a vetted sponsor or family member.
A separate HHS funded contract worth over $165 million with Deployed Resources indicates it is for “Greensboro direct care and supervision services.” However, the News & Record could not determine if that contract is related to the Greensboro Piedmont Academy site.
The News & Record sent an email to HHS asking exactly what services would be provided by Deployed Resources.
In its response, HHS said, “through a contractor, ORR anticipates that some 1,500 people will staff the facility, across two to three shifts, in a variety of roles including case managers, mental health clinicians, medical clinicians, administration, logistics, food service, and other areas.”
An email to Deployed Resources seeking information was not answered on Friday.
HHS has signed a five-year lease with the nonprofit American Hebrew Academy for the site off Hobbs Road for nearly $50 million. The facility will house up to 800 children, though the number could fluctuate depending on demand. The nonprofit also will be contracted to provide onsite education for the children.
HHS indicated it will “notify the Greensboro community” prior to the arrival of the children, but it did not specify how that communication would occur.
Local officials said they’ve been told the facility will accept boys and girls ages 13 to 17 and that they will be separated by gender.
“While in ORR care, children have access to medical treatment, legal services, translation services, education, and mental and behavioral health counselors and are able to connect with family at least twice a week,” HHS said. “Children also meet with a case manager at least weekly.”
In the email Friday, HHS said these services would be provided onsite and that the children will “remain under staff supervision at all times, and the impact of these shelters on the local community is minimal.
“ORR works in close coordination with local officials,” the agency said in the email.
However, some local elected officials have complained that HHS has left it up to them to answer questions from the public about the facility.
“One of the things that we asked for was that they have better communication,” Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said earlier this week. “You know, this is their project, they need to be the face of it.”
