Peer-reviewed article
Nurturing Futures: Foster Carer Perspectives on Looking After Unaccompanied Asylum‐Seeking Children With Histories of Trafficking
Rosie Galbraith ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explores how foster carers support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who have been trafficked. Foster carers reported lacking specialist training and support from social workers, but found meaning in helping these vulnerable children navigate the asylum process. The research identifies significant emotional challenges for carers and recommends specialized care pathways, trauma-informed support, and peer networks to improve practice.
Key points
- Foster carers reported a lack of specialist training and support from skilled social work professionals
- Foster carers played a significant role in identifying and managing risks for trafficked children in their care
- Supporting children through the asylum process presented major challenges for foster families
- Foster carers experienced emotional toll from the work, despite deriving a sense of fulfilment
- Recommendations include specialized care pathways integrating trauma-informed support, reflective supervision, and bespoke training
Limitations
The study had a small sample size (six fostering families and one social worker) and regional focus in the UK, limiting generalizability. The study does not capture the direct experiences and perspectives of the trafficked children themselves.
Abstract
ABSTRACT This article presents the findings of a small‐scale qualitative study exploring the experiences of Foster Carers looking after unaccompanied asylum‐seeking children (UASC) who are identified or suspected victims of child trafficking (‘UASTC’—unaccompanied asylum‐seeking and trafficked children). Through in‐depth interviews with six fostering families and one specialist Social Worker, key themes include a lack of specialist training and support from skilled Social Work professionals, the significance of the role of the Foster Carer in the identification and management of risk, the challenges of supporting children through the asylum process, and the resulting emotional toll on Foster Carers. Notwithstanding the challenges encountered, Foster Carers derived a sense of fulfilment from the role. The study's findings should be read cautiously due to the small sample size and regional focus. Despite this, resulting considerations for fostering agencies could include exploring specialised care pathways for UASTC that integrate trauma‐informed support, offering reflective supervision and bespoke training for carers and professionals, and providing access to peer support networks. Recommendations for future research include explorations of the first‐hand experiences of UASTC and the variety of placements they inhabit.