Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children fostering
When children arrive alone in the UK, they are taken into the care of the local authority. These young people seeking asylum need practical and emotional support, a safe, stable home, and guidance. Could you help a young person rebuild their life?
Who are unaccompanied young people seeking asylum?
The majority are teenage boys aged between 14-17 from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Eritrea, Vietnam, and Albania.
They may have experienced:
- Trafficking.
- Separation from their family in their own country or during transit to a safe country.
- Conflict and war, fleeing from violence.
- Persecution. Children might belong to a community, religion or political faction that is the target of persecution in their country. This might include targeting children that identify within the LGBTQ+ community.
What does fostering an unaccompanied young person seeking asylum involve?
Foster Carers give children a safe and welcoming place to live while their individual case to remain in the UK is considered by the Home Office.
Foster Carers will:
- Welcome a young person into their home.
- Provide a secure base so that they can settle, build trust and gain the confidence to share their story when they are ready to do so.
- Help children to access education and health services.
- Accompany them to immigration meetings and arrange legal support.
- Make links with local cultural and faith groups.
- Support them to adapt to their new living situation and new surroundings.
- Help them to learn English.
- Help young people to learn independence skills to build a life in the UK.
- Support them with any emotional wellbeing needs they may have.
What training is available to help me support a young person seeking asylum?
Alongside the mandatory Foster Carer training, therapeutic training and a wealth of other in-person and online courses, we also offer a tailored training package for carers of young people seeking asylum, which includes:
- Introduction to Caring for Unaccompanied Migrant Children.
- Modern Slavery Basic Awareness.
- Child Exploitation, Missing and Prevent.
- Responding to Radicalisation in fostering.
What professional and peer support is available?
We offer a dedicated monthly support group, led by Social Workers from both the Fostering team and the Children’s Asylum team. Relevant guest speakers often attend these sessions to share knowledge and expertise on issues that affect young people seeking asylum.
Our community of carers also provides peer support, and we can match you with carers who have experience of caring for migrant young people. Carers will be able to share tailored advice covering children from a range of cultural and religious backgrounds.
A wealth of professional support is available. Teams work together with Foster Carers to ensure we’re providing the best possible care for our young people.
This includes:
- Your own dedicated Supervising Social Worker.
- A Social Worker from the Children’s Asylum team for the young person
- Out-of-hours phone line staffed by experienced Social Workers
What financial support will I receive?
- Extra clothing allowances.
- Festivals and birthday allowances.
- Extra payment for UASC who arrive in the UK age 17+ and remain living with Foster Carers beyond the age of 18.
How long will they be in my care and what happens when they turn 18?
This would be dependent on a number of factors including the care plan and the wishes and feelings of the young person.
There is the option for Foster Carers to provide ‘Staying Put’ care when the young person turns 18.
If becoming a fully approved Foster Carer isn’t for you, you could still make big difference by becoming a Supported Lodgings Host. In this situation you’d become a landlord with a lodger – with less formal care responsibility – and this is often what our unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people are in need of.
Meet our Foster Carers
Fostering stories
“It’s going to be a bit messy and chaotic, but you haven’t got to be perfect!"
"We thought we could give someone a place to live"
"I love fostering and the friendships it has given me!"
Professional support and competitive pay
Thinking of becoming a Foster Carer?
Frequently asked questions
What training is on offer for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children fostering?
We offer specialist training to all carers regarding the needs of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and dedicated support from an advanced practitioner, as well as your own Supervising Social Worker or Support Worker.
