Fostering Across Borders

Almost 200,000 unaccompanied migrant children sought asylum in Europe since the surge in arrivals of refugees and migrants in 2015.

The Fostering Across Borders project aimed to improve the quality and expand the availability of family-based care for unaccompanied migrant children in six EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Poland and the United Kingdom.
A foster carer training programme was developed and professionals (including foster carers) were trained on and supported to better protect and meet the needs of these children.

Fostering Across Borders builds on the output of the ALFACA (Alternative Family Care) project, particularly its good practice manual and e-learning package for professionals and the experience working with reception families and the unaccompanied children living with them.

Fostering Across Borders Activities

• Map the existing training gaps and needs for professionals and family-based carers, at national level;
• Develop and deliver training for professionals and foster carers to enhance their ability to care for unaccompanied migrant children, based on a Training-of-Trainers approach;
• Produce a foster carer training programme, adapted to each country context;
• Support the recruitment and retention of family-based carers for unaccompanied migrant children through information sessions, foster carer forums and the development of awareness raising materials;
• Consult with children and young people to reflect children’s views of family-based care in all the FAB materials (child-centred approach).
   

FAB project materials produced for each country:

Austria

For FAB activities in Austria, please contact Ondine DELAVELLE (odelavelle@iom.int), FAB Project Coordinator, or visit the national FAB page.

Videos in German | Infosheet in German

Resources	Description
Training manual: Caring for unaccompanied migrant children - German	Foster carers play a pivotal role in supporting children to develop the skills necessary to grow and thrive, and to overcome the effects of loss, separation and trauma. This training package will support the delivery of training to family-based carers by providing them with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to provide these children with the best possible standards of care. The training package has been developed to enable professionals, such as social workers and trainers, and experienced family-based cares, such as foster carers, to run a short modular course for family-baes carers already caring for or looking to foster unaccompanied migrant children.
Information leaflet for current and prospective family-based carers - German	Foster carers are one of the most important people in the life of unaccompanied migrant children – children who have had to leave their homes and embark on perilous journeys, and that have no adult who is able to take responsibility for them. This leaflet aims to help you start thinking about the children’s experiences, what their needs may be, and how you as a foster carer can support them.
Country of Origin Information - German	Afghanistan Eritrea Irak Sudan Vietnam
Mapping of existing training for family-based carers	This report concentrates on Austria, where FBC is provided to UMC primarily by fostercarers, with the support of a range of professionals. The report provides a summary of the legal framework within which family-based care is carried out in Austria and of the existing practices in place and offers an overview of the current national state-of-play regarding the unaccompanied migrant children (UMC) training available to family-based-care providers. In particular, the report identifies the training’s gaps and needs, and offers recommendations for future provision.
Mapping of existing training for professionals	Family-based care in Austria is provided to UMC primarily by foster carers, with the support of a range of professionals. The report reflects the findings of two surveys (one addressed to relevant institutions and one addressed directly to professionals) and a series of meetings and telephone interviews with key stakeholders dealing with fostering programmes for UMC, which took place between January and June 2018. These surveys and interviews have been supported by a review of literature and relevant reports
Key Findings and Recommendations: Fostering Across Borders Final Programme Report	Fostering Across Borders (FAB) developed a set of useful documents and materials to assess, support and improve the provision of family-based care to unaccompanied migrant children in the countries of implementation.

Belgium

For FAB activities in Belgium, please contact Charlotte CRAHAY, IOM Belgium FAB Project Coordinator(ccrahay@iom.int).

Videos in French | Infosheet in French

Videos in Dutch | Infosheet in Dutch 

Resources	Description
Training package (manual and slides): Caring for unaccompanied migrant children	Foster carers play a pivotal role in supporting children to develop the skills necessary to grow and thrive, and to overcome the effects of loss, separation and trauma. This training package will support the delivery of training to family-based carers by providing them with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to provide these children with the best possible standards of care. The training package has been developed to enable professionals, such as social workers and trainers, and experienced family-based cares, such as foster carers, to run a short modular course for family-baes carers already caring for or looking to foster unaccompanied migrant children. Download the package (manual and slides) in French Download the package (manual and slides) in Dutch
Information leaflet for current and prospective family-based carers	This leaflet aims to help you start thinking about the children’s experiences, what their needs may be, and how you as a foster carer can support them. Download the leaflet in French Download the leaflet in Dutch
Country of Origin Information - French	Afghanistan Erythrée Irak Soudan Viet Nam
Country of Origin Information - Dutch	Afghanistan Eritrea Irak Soedan Viet Nam
Mapping of existing training for family-based carers	This report concentrates on Belgium and it informs the project’s work by outlining the broad context of fostering for unaccompanied migrant children in Belgium. The report provides a summary of the legal framework within which family-based care is carried out in Belgium and of the existing practices in place, and offers an overview of the current national state-of-play regarding the unaccompanied migrant children (UMC) training available to family-based-care providers. In particular, the report identifies the training’s gaps and needs, and offers recommendations for future provision.
Mapping of existing training for professionals	This report concentrates exclusively on Belgium and it informs the project’s work by outlining the broad context of fostering for UMC, and by mapping the training provision for and training needs of professionals supporting FBC-providers and/or UMC. In particular, it identifies this training’s gaps and needs and offers recommendations for future provision. The results of this reports are based on a mixed data collection methodology that combines desk research, questionnaires and a survey.

FAB in Belgium was implemented in partnership with:

 

 

                              

 Sandra Otten

Project Officer

sandra.otten@minor-ndako.be

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ugo Guillet
Project Manager
ugo.guillet@mentorescale.be

Maryana Vukadinovic
Pedagogical Focal Point
mtahri@mentorescale.be

 

FAB in Belgium was co-funded by Fedasil. 

Greece

For FAB activities in Greece, please contact Anastasia ARAPIDOU (aarapidou@iom.int), FAB Project Coordinator.

Videos in Greek | Infosheet in Greek

Videos in Greek | Infosheet in Greek

Resources	Description
Training manual: Caring for unaccompanied migrant children	Foster carers play a pivotal role in supporting children to develop the skills necessary to grow and thrive, and to overcome the effects of loss, separation and trauma. This training package will support the delivery of training to family-based carers by providing them with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to provide these children with the best possible standards of care. The training package has been developed to enable professionals, such as social workers and trainers, and experienced family-based cartranslatedes, such as foster carers, to run a short modular course for family-baes carers already caring for or looking to foster unaccompanied migrant children. Note: this material is tranlsated from English. Download the training package (manual and slides) in Greek.
Information leaflet for current and prospective family-based carers	Information leaflet for current and prospective family-based carers – Greek Foster carers are one of the most important people in the life of unaccompanied migrant children – children who have had to leave their homes and embark on perilous journeys, and that have no adult who is able to take responsibility for them. This leaflet aims to help you start thinking about the children’s experiences, what their needs may be, and how you as a foster carer can support them. Download the leaflet in Greek.
Country of Origin Information – Greek	Afghanistan Erythrée Irak Soudan Viet Nam
Key Findings and Recommendations: Fostering Across Borders Final Programme Report	Fostering Across Borders (FAB) developed a set of useful documents and materials to assess, support and improve the provision of family-based care to unaccompanied migrant children in the countries of implementation. Download the report here.

Luxembourg

For FAB activities in Luxembourg, please contact Rabab AHMAD (rbahmad@iom.int), FAB Project Coordinator.

Videos info sheet in French 

Videos info sheet in German

Resources	Description
Caring for Unaccompanied Migrant Children: a foster carer training manual – French	Foster carers play a pivotal role in supporting children to develop the skills necessary to grow and thrive, and to overcome the effects of loss, separation and trauma. This training package will support the delivery of training to family-based carers by providing them with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to provide these children with the best possible standards of care. The training package has been developed to enable professionals, such as social workers and trainers, and experienced family-based cares, such as foster carers, to run a short modular course for family-baes carers already caring for or looking to foster unaccompanied migrant children. Download the package (manual and slides) in French
Information leaflet for current and prospective family-based carers	Foster carers are one of the most important people in the life of unaccompanied migrant children – children who have had to leave their homes and embark on perilous journeys, and that have no adult who is able to take responsibility for them. This leaflet aims to help you start thinking about the children’s experiences, what their needs may be, and how you as a foster carer can support them. Download the leaflet in French Download the leaflet in German
Country of Origin Information – French	Afghanistan Erythrée Irak Soudan Viet Nam
Country of Origin Information – German	Afghanistan Eritrea Irak Sudan Vietnam
Mapping of existing training for family-based carers	This report concentrates on Luxembourg, where family-based care targeting unaccompanied migrant children (UMC) is a novel practice, initiated in 2017 shortly after the Fostering Across Borders project was developed. The report provides a summary of the legal framework within which family-based care is carried out in Luxembourg and of the existing practices in place, and offers an overview of the current national state-of-play regarding the unaccompanied migrant children (UMC) training available to family-based-care providers. In particular, the report identifies the training’s gaps and needs, and offers recommendations for future provision. Download the report
Mapping of existing training for professionals	Family-based care in Luxembourg is a novel practice, initiated in 2017 shortly after the Fostering Accross Borders project was developed. In particular, the report identifies training’s gaps and needs and offers recommendations for future provision. The results of this reports are based on a mixed data collection methodology that combines desk research, phone interviews and questionnaires. Download the report

FAB in Luxembourg was implemented in partnership with:

Croix-Rouge luxembourgeoise

Ines Dias, Foster Care Service Coordinator, at ines.dias@croix-rouge.lu

Poland

For FAB activities in Poland, please contact Hanna DOBRZYNSKA (hdobrzynska@iom.int), FAB Project Coordinator.

United Kingdom

For FAB activities in the United Kingdom, please contact Francesca MEGNA (fmegna@iom.int), FAB Project Coordinator.

FAB was funded by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union (2014-2020) and led by IOM. It ran from January 2018 to September 2019.

IOM staff in the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland implemented the project in partnership with local partners.

Funded by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union (2014-2020)