Nurturing Futures
Foster Carer Perspectives on Looking After Unaccompanied Asylum‐Seeking Children With Histories of Trafficking
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12571066 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rosie Galbraith (0009-0005-3256-3427, School of Children, Young People and Families Leeds Trinity University Leeds UK, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-15 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Child & Family Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1356-7500 • E-ISSN: 1365-2206 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/cfs.70139 |
| OpenAlex | W7128957604 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 10 |
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
Bespoke · Child protection · Foster care · Foster parents · Qualitative research · Toll · Variety (cybernetics · Child Welfare and Adoption · Migration, Health and Trauma · Sex work and related issues · Social Work
Vicarious traumatization and secondary traumatic stress
Classification and framing of interviews in ethnographic interviewing
Food and its meaning for asylum seeking children and young people in foster care
Analysis of care and education pathways of refugee and asylum‐seeking children in care in England
Hosting strangers
Unaccompanied refugee minors and foster care
Supporting unaccompanied asylum‐seeking young people
Fostering unaccompanied asylum seeking young people
Social Work With Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Young People
Using thematic analysis in psychology
| Highly cited | No |
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