Nurturing Futures: Foster Carer Perspectives on Looking After Unaccompanied Asylum‐Seeking Children With Histories of Trafficking

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.