CUBA'S CHILDREN IN EXILE : II11Í: P'--' 111 •• 1 J 1 • : : 1 ¿f\ >•*" "" *-• '•.-:j:jx£:£x: " j x^x:] ͧÍ|III1111:| ~-:' : -v r::;.-:-:- FOREWORD The Cuban Refugee Program—the most comprehensive program ever devised in this country to meet the needs of incoming IN NOVEMBER 1960, a Cuban mother refugees—was the first to entail the distribu­ brought her two children to Key West. She tion of Federal financial assistance for main­ feared that they would be sent to Russia be­ tenance outside of a refugee center. Provi­ cause she and her husband were actively op­ sions for the unaccompanied children were posed to the Castro regime. She asked the made part of the overall plan. judge of the juvenile court to find homes for The Children's Bureau, through delega­ them. The judge assumed jurisdiction and tion, was made responsible for child welfare placed her children in foster care. The mother services, including the care and protection of returned to Cuba to be with her husband and these unaccompanied Cuban children. The to continue her work in the counterrevolu­ Florida State Department of Public Welfare tionary movement. acted as agent for the U.S. Department of This incident marked the beginning of a Health, Education, and Welfare in planning rapid influx of Cuban children, many of for these children and in the use of Federal whom would be unaccompanied by their par­ funds for their care. The Florida State De­ ents and with no relatives here to care for partment of Public Welfare, in turn, con­ them. The children came from all classes of tracted with HIAS and the Miami voluntary Cuban society, although the majority were children's agencies—the Catholic Welfare from well-to-do, middle-class families. Most Bureau of the Diocese of Miami, the Chil­ of them were in their early teens, and nearly dren's Service Bureau, and the Jewish Family two-thirds were boys. and Children's Service—for arranging for Voluntary agencies did what they could the placement of the children. to provide care and shelter for these children, By April 30, 1967, the Federal Govern­ but it soon became apparent that they could ment had been responsible for the foster care not carry on without the help of the Federal of over 8,300 children. Government. Practical problems that would have dis­ In January 1961, President John F. couraged those less convinced of the impor­ Kennedy asked the Secretary of Health, Edu­ tance of what they were doing beset the agen­ cation, and Welfare, Abraham Ribicoff, to cies and organizations at ev^ry turn. But they plan and administer a Federal program to persisted—and difficulties were finally over­ deal with the needs of Cuban refugees while come. It is this story that is told in CUBA'S in the United States and to expedite their CHILDREN IN EXILE: The Story of the return to their homeland when conditions Unaccompanied Cuban Refugee Children's made it possible. Program. ^> OVAAAXVA-^ (J » \-**tXi.•C**^Asi KATHERINE B. OETTINGER Chief, Children's Bureau SOCIAL and REHABILITATION SERVICE A~- ^ ^ Lcnr^^. JOHN F. THOMAS Director, Cuban Refugee Program SOCIAL and REHABILITATION SERVICE CUBA'S CHILDREN IN EXILE D the story of the Unaccompanied Cuban Refugee D Children's Program U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE SOCIAL and REHABILITATION SERVICE • Children's Bureau • 1967 CUBA'S CHILDREN IN EXILE the story of the D Unaccompanied Cuban Refugee D Children's Program EARLY IN 1960, many Cuban parents began tative of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. to fear the influence of communism on their Among the resolutions adopted by the Wel­ children and to make arrangements to send fare Planning Council was one recommend­ their children to relatives and friends in the ing that the Federal Government participate United States. As the year wore on, more and in developing a plan for the care of unac­ more children were sent to the United States, companied Cuban refugee children. some with little or no guarantee that the rel­ When Mr. James Baker, Principal of the atives or friends would care for them. Home­ Ruston Academy, an American school in less teenage boys were noticed in Miami. Havana, and several members of the Ameri­ The dramatic case of the two children can Chamber of Commerce in Havana heard brought to the Key West Juvenile Court was about Father Walsh's interest in unaccom­ symptomatic of the problem that was to panied children from Cuba, they asked his mushroom into immense proportions within aid for some Cuban parents who wanted to a very short time. send their children to the United States but who had no one to look after them here. Early arrivals Father Walsh agreed to help, and plans were worked out for the children. Most of the unaccompanied Cuban chil­ The basic idea was that these children dren who arrived in this country during 1960 would come to the United States on student were Catholic. As their numbers increased, visas. Because of many delays, only 25 of the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Miami these student visas had been issued when became concerned about these children and diplomatic relations between the United charged Father (later Monsignor) Bryan 0. States and Cuba were broken on January 3, Walsh, Executive Director of the Catholic 1961. However, children who had tourist Welfare Bureau, Miami, with responsibility visas began arriving in Miami on December for them. The Catholic Welfare Bureau was a 26, 1960, with the request that they be cared small, licensed child caring and adoption for by the Catholic Welfare Bureau. agency, then caring for about 80 children. When diplomatic relations were broken, Father Walsh brought the problem to the the number of children in Havana for whom Welfare Planning Council of Dade County, Mr. Baker and his staff were seeking care Florida. The Welfare Planning Council from the Catholic Welfare Bureau had grown called a meeting of local public and voluntary to 510. Mr. Baker returned to the United agencies in the fall of 1960, and a Cuban States on January 4, and he and Father Refugee Committee was established to work Walsh began direct discussions with the U.S. with Mr. Tracy Voorhees, Special Represen­ Department of State and the Immigration 1 and Naturalization Service about the possi­ Welfare Department. A group of 40 children bility of bringing in these children without brought en masse from a Cuban institution visas. Within a few days, permission was were sent to a religious order in New Jersey. given to bring in 225 children on waivers of A few were sent to a Philadelphia agency. the student visas with the understanding Father Walsh was then confronted with that more waivers would be granted if the problem of caring for 500 children be­ needed. By the time the Federal Government tween the ages of 5 and 18 who were expected took over the program, visa waivers were be­ to arrive in Miami within 3 weeks. Fortu­ ing granted in blocks of 500. nately, he was able to work out plans with Jewish and Protestant children in Cuba directors of six Catholic charities in various were also being helped through arrangements parts of the country to provide care in in­ made for their care by the appropriate volun­ stitutions for these Cuban children. Although tary child welfare agencies. The public child foster care in large institutions was undesir­ welfare agencies in Miami were asked to help able for many children, the necessity of find­ but lacked funds to participate. ing beds became an overriding consideration. By February 1, 1961, 174 children had come to the United States. Fifty-three of these children were being cared for by rela­ The Federal program begins tives and friends, 119 by the Catholic Wel­ fare Bureau, and 2 by the Jewish Family and While planning was going on at the na­ Children's Service. In addition, the Catholic tional level for the overall Cuban Refugee Welfare Bureau was caring for 15 children Program, the Children's Bureau was working who had arrived earlier and had been living with the Florida State Department of Public alone in Miami. Welfare to assess the problem of unaccom­ At this point, the Catholic Welfare panied Cuban refugee children and to deter­ Bureau was caring for as many children as it mine a workable plan. could. Most of them were boys over 14. They On February 3, 1961, President Kennedy were placed in existing institutions, in a new directed the Secretary of Health, Education, institution able to house 26 boys, and in a and Welfare, Abraham Ribicoff, to "provide facility borrowed from the Dade County financial aid for the care and protection of £ . CG 9S3B3 . unaccompanied children—the most defense­ .. less and troubled group among the refugee population." The Children's Bureau was assigned responsibility to "negotiate and subsequently supervise a contract or agreement with the ciNWff«ENCy CENTER State of Florida to provide through voluntary or public agencies a program for the care of unaccompanied Cuban children." The Florida State Department of Public Welfare on February 21, 1961, signed an agreement to develop an emergency program to provide temporary aid for Cuban refugees, including care and protection of unaccom­ panied children. The agreement provided for the use of Federal funds in carrying out the plan. The Florida State Department of Public Welfare, acting as an agent of the U.S. De­ partment of Health, Education, and Welfare, awarded contracts effective March 1, 1961, to three voluntary agencies in Miami and an international agency headquartered in New York City to provide foster care for unaccom­ panied Cuban refugee children.