Unaccompanied Children in Alternative Residence (U-CARE)

The U-CARE project, financed by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (2014-2020) and coordinated by IOM Belgium, is a 20-month initiative which contributes to the development and improvement of alternative non-institutionalized care systems for Unaccompanied Migrant Children (UMC) in Belgium, Germany and Greece. Through an inclusive child-centered approach and the exchange of good practices, knowledge and experiences, existing systems and tools will be strengthened.

This project targets primarily unaccompanied migrant children by exploring, strengthening and considering alternative care options as a more suitable response to their specific needs. To respect children’s views and to ensure that the envisioned tools respond to the actual needs, UMC will be invited throughout the project to share their opinions. The project also aims at mobilizing, recruiting and training foster families, with a specific focus on those with a migration background, as well as training professionals working within national child protection systems. Finally, the project puts considerable emphasis on (trans)national exchange of good practices and awareness raising within the general public and among more specialized actors on the importance of family-based care and residential care alternatives.

Expected results of the U-CARE project:

• Family – based care
• Alternative living arrangements
• Training and capacity building
• Awareness raising and exchange
  

  Who is an unaccompanied child?

  What is the profile of unaccompanied migrant children?

  What is foster care?

  Who can foster?

  How could I become a foster parent?

  Why should someone become a foster care?

   

U-CARE is implemented in partnership with: IOM Offices in Belgium, Germany and Greece in partnership with Pleegzorg Vlaanderen and ARSIS.

U-CARE builds on the good practices and tools developed under the Fostering Across Borders (FAB) project. The project was implemented from January 2018 until September 2019 in 6 European countries and aimed to improve the quality and expand the availability of family-based care for UMC. For more info on the FAB project and to access the tools, visit the webpage here. Interested in the FAB activities implemented by our office in Belgium? Have a look at our webpage here and FAB project on IOM Greece.

This project is funded by the European Union's Asylum, Migration and Integration fund.

Learn more here.