Islamic Relief UK remains committed to promoting and facilitating the development of young people and their families across the UK. We work with a range of local and international partners to ensure that children and their families are on the path towards a bright future.
With a particular focus on children from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds, we are addressing crucial social, cultural and economic issues affecting vulnerable children and families.
Supporting Unaccompanied Minors and Children in Foster Care
In the UK, there is currently a shortfall of foster placements to meet the number of Muslim children entering the care system. As a result, more and more Muslim children are being placed outside of their religious/cultural background. This undeniably has a negative impact on their life outcomes and emotional wellbeing.
In partnership with Muslim Fostering Network we want to address these challenges and change the current response to Muslim children in foster care. We recognise the need to invest time and resources to build essential capacity for the most vulnerable of all children, refugees, and more specifically, unaccompanied children.
We are working with Muslim Fostering Network to build relationships with non-Muslims caring for children. We are also building crucial capacity within the Muslim sector to enable more Muslim children to be placed within families of the same faith background. Lastly, we are developing and facilitating legal routes of family reunification, for unaccompanied minors in France and Greece. This will allow these children to join family members currently residing within the UK.
Approachable Parenting
Approachable Parenting is a practical programme for parents of children aged four to eleven in low-income or single-parent families.
This eight-week course empowers and supports families looking after Muslim children by:
- Providing practical guidance to Muslim parents on raising their children;
- Drawing upon both psychological and Islamic principles;
- Giving parents essential tools to enhance their parenting skills and provide consistent value-based parenting in line with their own religious beliefs
Delivered by experienced and professional licensed trainers, the programme creates a therapeutic atmosphere where parents can explore their own parenting techniques within a religious context. By using a range of learning methods including group discussions, role play and demonstration, skills are developed in sessions which are then encouraged to be practiced at home.
This programme has been published in the prestigious Early Intervention Foundation guidebook and has NCVO approved provider standard certification. Having already supported over 200 parents and 500 children, Islamic Relief are proud to continue working with Approachable Parenting to offer this ground-breaking programme.
Helping Children at Risk of Destitution
Since 2015, we’ve partnered with The Children’s Society to help reduce the number of children and young people at risk of destitution. We have specifically targeted those at high risk of acute poverty due to their immigration status. To date we have saved over 1,190 individuals from destitution.
We have helped vulnerable youth find critical, safe and secure accommodation as well as financial support. We also ensure that they receive one-to-one support in the form of weekly free drop-in advice sessions from the OISC (Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner).
Now in its third phase, the programme has already supported over 2,800 children and will continue to support more this year.