Lutheran Children and Family Service

The LCFS Refugee Resettlement Program is a local affiliate of the national Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, which assists refugees and asylees through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of State. These services are provided to hundreds of refugees each year in the five-county Southeast Pennsylvania area, as well as in Central Pennsylvania at a sub-office in Lancaster. Provided in collaboration with previously arrived relatives, co-sponsoring churches and organizations and individual volunteers, refugee resettlement services are designed to create a smooth transition to life in the local community and to promote economic self-sufficiency.


LCFS provides the following services to refugees and immigrants in the local community:

Case Processing: Persons who entered the U.S. as a refugee or obtained asylum in this country may be able to apply for their family members, by filing an Affidavidit of Relationship (AOR).

Reception and Placement: Ensures that core services such as housing, furniture, clothing and food needs, medical appointments, ESL and school registration, job searches, and cultural orientation are provided for newly-arrived refugees. Previously resettled families are expected to assume responsibility for newly-arriving family members. LCFS seeks congregations and other forms of community support to assist refugees who do not have family here.

Employment Services: Refugees and asylees are generally eligible for either Matching Grant assistance or the state funded RSS employment program. LCFS will assist clients in getting connected to the services that they need to locate and secure a job.

Counseling for Survivors of Torture: LCFS offers services for restoring hope and providing healing for torture survivors, and facilitates access to a broad network of medical and legal assistance.

Immigration Services: LCFS is accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) to provide a variety of immigration counseling services, including green cards, travel documents, family petitions, and more.

Unaccompanied Refugee Minors: LCFS offers traditional foster care and semi-independent living opportunities for foreign-born children who arrive in the Philadelphia region without their parents or legal guardians. Supported by the US Department of Health and Human Services, this program provides age-appropriate placements and support services intended to promote stability, acculturation, academic achievement, and self-sufficiency.

The Burmese Community Development Program: A large number of Refugees from the Asian country of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, are currently being resettled throughout the state of Pennsylvania. The Burmese Community Development Program was established to assist rising Burmese leaders in Pennsylvania to organize and learn about resources so they can better serve their communities.

For more information about the Refugee Resettlement Program at LCFS, please contact Janet Panning at 215-747-7500, extension 209, or via email at janetp@lcfsinpa.org