When an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child or young person arrives in the UK, they have often faced loss, trauma, and uncertainty. Foster care provides them with stability, safety and hope. But beyond offering a secure home, foster carers and fostering agencies like ourselves must also support their language, cultural identity, and emotional wellbeing.
At Beacon Fostering, we believe that language and culture are at the heart of effective fostering. By respecting and valuing a child’s heritage, we help them feel a sense of belonging, build trust, and thrive within their new environment.
Why language and culture matter in foster care
Building identity and belonging
Language and culture aren’t just about communication – they are central to identity. For children in foster care, particularly unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people, maintaining links to their culture supports:
Self-esteem and confidence
Continuity of identity and heritage
A stronger sense of belonging within foster families
When foster carers ignore culture and language, children may feel isolated or disconnected. By contrast, a culturally responsive fostering placement helps them adapt while staying connected to their roots.
Common challenges for unaccompanied young people in foster care
Foster carers supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children may encounter:
Language barriers that affect school, health care, and daily life
Interrupted education in their country of origin
Trauma and grief linked to family separation and conflict
Cultural differences in food, religion, traditions and expectations
Discrimination or prejudice in their community
Understanding these challenges is key to creating a safe and nurturing foster placement.
How foster carers can support language and culture
1. Encourage use of the child’s first language
Foster carers can support children by:
Providing books, films and music in their home language
Using interpreters when needed for health, education or legal matters
Encouraging bilingual or multilingual expression
Linking with community groups who speak the same language
Supporting a child’s mother tongue also helps them learn English more effectively.
2. Celebrate cultural traditions in foster care
Small actions can make a big difference in making a child feel at home:
Cook traditional meals together
Celebrate cultural or religious festivals (Eid, Diwali, Nowruz, Christmas, etc.)
Encourage cultural dress, music, or storytelling
Connect with local cultural or faith communities
3. Use inclusive, trauma-informed language
Beacon Fostering promotes inclusive language in all fostering contexts. Foster carers can:
Avoid deficit terms such as “struggling to adjust” and instead say “learning to adapt”
Encourage children to share their stories in the way they feel comfortable
Always use respectful, person-first language (e.g. “young person in foster care”)
4. Advocate for education and language support
Foster carers play a vital role in ensuring children receive the right support in school. This may include:
Accessing English as an Additional Language (EAL) support
Securing extra tutoring or homework support
Working with schools to understand cultural needs
5. Prioritise placement stability and emotional care
Above all, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children need safe, stable, and loving homes. A strong match between child and foster carer — considering culture, language and care style – reduces the risk of placement breakdowns and promotes healing.
The role of fostering agencies like Beacon Fostering
As an independent fostering agency, Beacon Fostering provides foster carers with the training, resources and support they need to welcome unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. We:
Train carers in cultural awareness and therapeutic fostering
Provide access to interpreters, mentors and community networks
Ensure well-matched placements that value language and culture
Support foster carers with 24/7 advice and guidance
Advocate for children with schools, social workers and health professionals
By working closely with foster carers, we ensure that children not only feel safe, but also respected, valued, and connected to their heritage.
Why fostering unaccompanied asylum-seeking children matters
Fostering unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is one of the most rewarding roles a foster carer can take on. It is about more than offering a home – it is about:
Rebuilding a young person’s trust in adults
Supporting recovery from trauma
Valuing language and cultural identity
Offering stability, belonging and love
Every foster carer who chooses to care for an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child is making a life-changing difference.
Thinking about becoming a foster carer?
At Beacon Fostering, we are always looking for people who can provide safe, loving, and culturally inclusive foster homes. Whether you’re an experienced carer or considering fostering for the first time, we’ll support you every step of the way. Click here to apply to be a Foster Carer