Fostering Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children in Wales

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are among the most vulnerable young people entering the Welsh care system. They have arrived in Wales alone — without parents or carers — and are seeking asylum in the UK. Most have made dangerous journeys. Many have experienced conflict, violence, or significant loss. And on arrival, they are placed into local authority care.

Fostering a UASC is different from standard fostering in several important ways, and carers who do it well tend to be among the most committed in the system.

Who Are UASC in Wales?

An unaccompanied asylum-seeking child is a person under 18 who has arrived in the UK without a parent or guardian, has claimed asylum, and is looked after by a local authority. In Wales, these children are typically placed by the relevant local authority, though some arrive via the National Transfer Scheme, which distributes children across different local authorities in the UK to prevent any single area from being disproportionately burdened.

UASC in Wales come from a wide range of countries, most commonly from conflict-affected regions. Many are teenage boys, though younger children and girls also enter the system. A significant proportion have been in the UK for some time before being formally identified and looked after.

The Legal Context

As looked-after children under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, UASC have the same statutory rights as any other child in care — a Care and Support Plan, a responsible social worker, access to education, and the right to have their voice heard in decisions about their life.

Additionally, they are subject to immigration law. They have outstanding asylum claims that will be processed by the Home Office, and their legal status in the UK is uncertain until a decision is made. Local authorities in Wales have a duty to support children through this process, which includes providing access to legal advice.

The Welsh Government has published specific guidance for foster carers caring for UASC, which covers the asylum process, the child's rights, contact with family, and the cultural sensitivity required. Carers are expected to be familiar with this guidance.

What Fostering a UASC Actually Involves

The daily experience of fostering a UASC is shaped by several factors that distinguish it from other placements:

Language: Many UASC do not speak English or Welsh on arrival. Communication requires patience, creativity, and often the involvement of interpreters. Agencies that place UASC regularly should have systems in place for language support, but carers need to be comfortable working through communication barriers.

Trauma: A significant proportion of UASC have experienced serious trauma — witnessing violence, losing family members, experiencing exploitation during their journey. Behaviour that might seem disproportionate or confusing often has roots in these experiences. Carers benefit from training in trauma-informed approaches, which Welsh fostering agencies can provide.

Cultural identity: Welsh fostering law, under the SSWBA's well-being framework, requires that a child's cultural, religious, and linguistic identity is respected and supported. For a UASC, this might mean ensuring they have access to foods from their culture, supporting religious observance, or helping them maintain contact with community members from their country of origin.

The asylum process: The waiting period for an asylum decision can be lengthy and stressful for a young person. Carers are not immigration lawyers and are not responsible for managing the claim, but they will often be the child's primary emotional support during a period of profound uncertainty. Understanding the basics of the asylum process helps carers provide better support and answer the young person's questions honestly.

Age disputes: A small number of UASC arrive with disputed ages — local authorities may assess them as older than the age they have given. This can be a source of significant distress and carers may find themselves supporting a young person through an age assessment process alongside everything else.

Approval and Training

You do not need a specific additional approval to foster UASC — you are approved as a foster carer, and the agency then assesses which placements are appropriate for your household. However, agencies that regularly place UASC often provide targeted training for carers who want to take these placements.

This training typically covers: the asylum process, trauma and resilience, working with interpreters, understanding cultural differences in family and gender norms, and how to support a child who has no family contact.

Some carers specialize almost entirely in UASC placements over their career. Others take one or two as part of a broader range of placements. The commitment to supporting a young person through an enormously uncertain period — with no family to supplement your care — is significant but widely described by carers as among the most meaningful work they have done.

The Wales Fostering Approval Guide covers the full approval process for fostering in Wales, including the training framework and the support structures available to carers working with children in complex circumstances.

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