unacccompanied asylum seeking children

[Surburbia]

Does anyone have experience with the above category of fostering?

Also, does anyone have any info about if IFA's ever have these young people to foster as I've read it's mainly LAs.

i was on a zoom course for foster carers last friday and there was an agency foster carer who had two iranian asylum seeking teenagers under her care. Pretty sure Kent will be placing such children wth ifas.

It will all depend on the LA resources. If they have in-house (local authority) foster carers then they will place with them but if not they will look at IFA's. We have to have service manager approval to place in an IFA due to cost (north west city). If it were where I work then absolutely we would be using IFA.

@f0stercarer - thanks. I will contact a few agencies and see what they say. Kent as you say seems like an obvious area to consider.

There are “teen boys”. All over the country, not just Kent. I say “teen boys” because many will actually be young men. Something to bear in mind.

@JenniferAlisonPhilippaSue - can you elaborate? I know the media has highlighted that some of these supposed minors were not actually minors but over 18s and in some cases much older men.

If you have any info, I'd be grateful for it.

I have a sibling group of three refugee children. They've lived with me for a long time now. I couldn't love them any more than I do!

Apologies, I should have added that I am with an agency.

And it transpires that the oldest is actually younger than what we thought rather than older.

@namechangedforthisoneok - if I pm you would you mind answering some more questions? I'd really like to find out more. Thank you.

@JenniferAlisonPhilippaSue

There are “teen boys”. All over the country, not just Kent. I say “teen boys” because many will actually be young men. Something to bear in mind.

I second this. I come from Afghanistan.

Lots of families will send out their eldest sons (18+) and get them to fake age so they can go to school etc and get help.

Be wary of this!

@JenniferAlisonPhilippaSue

There are “teen boys”. All over the country, not just Kent. I say “teen boys” because many will actually be young men. Something to bear in mind.

My bestie works with these "children". I would avoid any claiming to be over 12. They will be adult men. She says most of the time it's obvious they are in there 20s but there's no proof so they can't be sent back if they are claiming they are 15/16/17. They get housed and educated and are allowed to stay here, then bring family over once they are a legal adult.

www.tactcare.org.uk/foster-with-us/types-of-fostering/unaccompanied-asylum-seeking-children/ Tact Fostering are looking for carers for unaccompanied asylum seekers.

@JustWonderingIfYou

Please do not stereotype!!!!

My three children are the most amazing and kindest children you could meet!

Is there any reason you’re particularly interested in fostering a refugee child?

I think the best thing is to speak to your local authority. They will match you with a child who is the right fit for you (whether this is a refugee child, a child from Britain, a toddler, a teen etc).

@Kanaloa -yes I do have reasons and am just exploring options at this point. Would love to hear from people fostering this group.

@thegirlwiththelongblackhair - what age did you come to Britain and were you an unaccompanied asylum seeking minor?

You are considered a 'child' in the UK if you are under 18 and thus the law gives you certain rights including to be put into foster care until you are 18. Once you're in care, you have the right to be looked after until 25 (to various degrees, usually in supported lodging etc)

It seems some/all?? LAs/IFAs are not differentiating actual refugees with asylum seekers. If one uses one's Intelligence, one must deduce that seeing it is only young men coming over in the vast majority of cases, these are not refugees but economic migrants who are seeking asylum to gain residency. However, I could be wrong.

That is why I'd like others' opinions who are actually fostering this group.

[quote Surburbia]@namechangedforthisoneok - if I pm you would you mind answering some more questions? I'd really like to find out more. Thank you.[/quote]

Yes of course!

@namechangedforthisoneok - I've pm'd you. Many thanks.

One of the key reasons for there being an imbalance in the amount of young males rather than young females is the risk of rape/sexual assault and/or being taken into prostitution during the illicit journey from their homeland. If you were in the same situation and felt you had to send someone would you send your teenage son or daughter ? Similarly it is more likely that an adolescent male would feel empowered to make that journey alone rather than a female.

I think the reality is that these are patriarchal societies and the huge financial investment will always be made in the male not the female - the latter is just not as valuable. A bit like in our own history when educating women was not seen as important as educating men.

Unfortunately, young men can and are raped and exploited. But I don't believe that this is the issue when sending young men over.
I'm pretty sure it's not a case of females not feeling empowered to make the journey, it's more to do with expectation and the role of females in these cultures. Males are just more important and worth the investment. Sad, but true.
Not to say there are not females coming over - but they are in a tiny minority.

[quote Surburbia]@namechangedforthisoneok - if I pm you would you mind answering some more questions? I'd really like to find out more. Thank you.[/quote]

I don't seem to have received a PM?

my friend is a regular fosterer and she had a teenage refugee.

It was hard.
he had travelling thousands of miles on his own across half the world to end up here.
For him to then live as a 'normal' teenager was unrealistic. (eg be home at a certain time and certain house rules)
There were challenges too which were really about cultural misunderstandings.
My dh and I have lived in Central Asia, and we spent some time explaining why some of the things they were expected were not fair.

But he was a lovely young man, just hard to try and foster him with such little understanding of his culture.

He said he was 15, but it was pretty clear he was older, which also made it harder.

@namechangedforthisoneok - just sent it again. Thanks!

@steppemum - yes. A 'teen' here is not necessarily a 'teen' in other parts of the world. Men often have to take responsibilities (as do women) much younger than here in the West.
The lack cultural understanding of the Home Office and the Refugee Council seem extraordinary to me and rather naive in their definition of 'children' - they are just applying it as it pertains to the law.

It's still an option I'm exploring though - my father and uncle were genuine refugees so it's something close to my heart. Whether we are talking about refugees or economic migrants is a moot point. Either way, fostering still has some validity I feel but I need much more information.

Do bear in mind that some will be men pretending to be under 18. Do you have any kids of your own? I have seen examples of where a foster carers child was put at risk because of the local authority putting (clearly a bloke in his 20s) into a foster family.