The Role of Foster Care in Supporting Young Arrivals to the UK
What’s happening in the world of foster care – A closer look at unaccompanied minors and the need for support in London and beyond.
Across the UK, and especially in London, Local Authorities are seeing a growing number of children and young people arriving alone, seeking asylum. These unaccompanied minors, often fleeing war, persecution, or extreme poverty, arrive in the UK in search of safety and a better life. But for many, their journey does not end when they arrive. It continues, often filled with uncertainty, fear, and the need for urgent care and support.
When we hear about refugee and asylum crises, we often picture far-off countries. But the reality is here too. In London alone, boroughs such as Croydon, Hillingdon, and Kent (which also serves as a port of entry) have seen sharp rises in the number of unaccompanied children needing care.
These children often arrive without family, documentation, or even a shared language. Many have faced long, dangerous journeys, some through war zones, refugee camps, and trafficking networks. When they reach the UK, they need more than food and shelter—they need people willing to listen, guide, and protect them.
Foster carers provide much more than just a roof over a child’s head. They offer stability, structure, and emotional support in a world that, for many of these children, has been completely unpredictable.
For asylum-seeking children, this first safe home can become the foundation of healing. It can help restore their trust in adults and offer them a sense of normality after unimaginable hardship.
Children who have fled persecution or violence often suffer from trauma and anxiety. They may be guarded, silent, or display difficult behaviour. But with the right support and patience, many begin to open up, build connections and thrive.
One of the most remarkable things about fostering asylum-seeking children is the cultural exchange it brings. Foster carers are often surprised by how much they learn, from language and traditions to the resilience of children who have faced far more than most adults.
Food, family, faith – these all become areas of curiosity and connection. It’s not unusual for carers to try new cuisines, adapt routines to suit cultural needs, or even celebrate festivals they’ve never heard of before.
Of course, there are challenges too navigating cultural differences, overcoming language barriers, and understanding the asylum process can be complex. But support is available, and no carer is expected to go through it alone.
Fostering an asylum-seeking child may feel daunting, but foster carers are never left to figure it out by themselves. Local Authorities and Independent Fostering Agencies provide specialist training, including:
• Trauma-informed care
• Cultural awareness
• Understanding the asylum process
• Language support and communication strategies
• Emotional and behavioural guidance
There are also networks of other carers with shared experiences who can offer advice, encouragement, and solidarity.
Behind the statistics are real children with real stories. Some go on to finish school, attend university, and build careers in the UK. Others reunite with family after years apart or find new purpose in helping others.
Foster carers regularly speak about the pride they feel in seeing these children rebuild their confidence, find their voice, and begin to see a future again.
“It’s not always easy,” one foster carer shared, “but watching a young person go from frightened and withdrawn to independent and smiling there’s nothing quite like it. It stays with you forever.”
The need for carers who can support asylum-seeking children is urgent. Many boroughs especially in London simply don’t have enough approved carers to meet the demand. This can result in children being placed far from familiar communities, or in settings that aren’t well suited to their needs.
If you have a spare room, an open mind, and the compassion to care, you could be the difference in a child’s life.
Fostering doesn’t require perfection it requires patience, empathy, and the willingness to stand beside a young person on their journey to healing and belonging.
The arrival of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is a pressing issue in the UK, particularly in London. Many of these young people have faced unimaginable hardship before arriving here alone. Foster care provides not just physical safety, but emotional recovery, structure, and hope for the future.
Carers who open their homes to these children are doing more than just fostering they are offering humanity, stability, and a chance for a better life. With the right support and training, more people can step into this crucial role and make a lasting impact.
Foster care changes lives. Sometimes, it might just change yours too.