Fostering

We are looking for foster carers to specialise in caring for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people who have been separated from their families, either in their own country or during transit to the UK. 

These children and young people may be extremely distressed and frightened. They need help to learn the skills required to successfully build a new life in the UK.

We will work very closely with you and provide training.

Why do UASC seek asylum

• War, conflict or civil unrest
• Forced recruitment into military service
• Escape from extreme poverty and deprivation
• Persecution, perhaps because of political or religious beliefs, sexuality or ethnicity
• Because they have been taken from their families and are at risk of being trafficked, beaten up or tortured.

What are the differences between fostering young people from the UK and fostering UASC?

In most cases, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people are not leaving their family because of abuse or neglect, they have been forced to leave behind everyone they have ever known – parents, relatives, siblings, friends – because of conflict or persecution. Therefore, they may have had a good relationship and a loving bond with their family and feel anxious about their future.

In some cases, the young people will speak little or no English, and there they be elements of life in the UK that they have never come across before. Everything will be different for them; for example - food, weather, cultural etiquette, language, social norms.

Where have the children and young people travelled from?

Children and young people entering the UK are mostly from Syria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.

How old are the children and young people who need support?

Most unaccompanied children and young people who come to the UK to seek asylum are between 15 and 17 years old but some are younger. Most are boys. 

If there is doubt about a young person’s age, they will undergo an age assessment. This is completed by two qualified social workers and usually takes place one or two weeks after arrival. This is NOT to determine whether they are allowed to remain in the UK (that is the role of the Home Office). The reason for the age assessment is to see whether they are under 18 in which case they will be viewed as a child and will be able to access support.

What kind of support do they need?

Foster Carers will need to provide a home where the young person feels safe, supported, valued, cared for, and included. Respect for and understanding of the young person’s culture is essential as is a readiness to support with the effects of being sent away from everything they have ever known and adapting to life in a new country.

We will help foster carers to familiarise themselves with the legal procedures regarding the child’s immigration status and support them through the process of applying for permission to stay in the UK.

Interested?

Fostering unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is a specialist area of fostering that comes with its challenges but is also hugely rewarding.

If you think you have what it takes to foster an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child or young person, we'd love to hear from you.

More information about independent advice from The Fostering Network about looking after unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the UK.