Refugee Children's School Impact Aid
Haitian Relief Measures and Temporary Protected Status
Refugee Act of 1980 - 30th Anniversary (pdf)
Temporary Protected Status for Haiti (pdf)
Tips for filing form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status (pdf)
Over the past 30 years, more than 100,000 refugees have made Pennsylvania their home, adding to its cultural diversity and strengthening its economy. The Refugee Act of 1980, expanded the number of persons considered refugees.
In Pennsylvania, educating refugee children becomes the responsibility of school districts. Pennsylvania Department of Education provides federal funding to school districts that experience the greatest impact of refugee students in their schools and communities. The Federal funding falls under the name Refugee Children's School Impact Aid (RCSIA). Currently, there are five grantee school districts and many other non-grantee school districts in the state that provide services to refugee students. They are located in Baldwin-Whitehall, Erie , Lancaster , Philadelphia and Upper Darby . The goal of the program is to support refugee students so they can graduate from high school.
