Sponsors of children travelling to, or staying in the UK without their parent or legal guardian: Homes for Ukraine
What to do if you are asked to look after your guest's child or children unexpectedly. This could include if your guest needs to leave the country, or travel separately.
Children under 18 who are coming to the UK to live without their parents or legal guardians could be particularly vulnerable. There is a separate process for applications from sponsors to make sure that children and young people are safe. Applicants must meet different eligibility criteria, and their sponsors must also have enhanced safeguarding checks.
You can apply to sponsor a child without their parent or legal guardian. You will need to use the online application form for sponsors of children not travelling with their parent or guardian.
Where parents/legal guardians have applied through the Homes for Ukraine scheme they should travel and stay with their children. Once in the UK, guests should not leave their child in the care of a sponsor (or an accompanying adult relative) for a period of 28 days or more. Guests must also not leave their child in the care of a sponsor (or an accompanying relative) for shorter periods on a regular basis.
If exceptional circumstances mean that the parent(s)/legal guardians must leave their child in the care of a sponsor for a short period, guidance is clear that they should agree this with you and inform the council in advance so they can carry out additional sponsor suitability checks where appropriate. Further information can be found in the guidance about unaccompanied children identified already living in the UK.
If the parent or legal guardian has left a child in your care, you must tell your local council immediately.
While away from the UK, the parents or legal guardians should stay in frequent contact with you and their child and update you if there are any changes to their plans (for example if the duration of their time away changes).
Sponsors should be aware that if a sponsorship arrangement between a sponsor and a child who is under 18 and not with their parent or legal guardian breaks down or is ended at the direction of the council for child welfare or safeguarding reasons, the council may need to accommodate the child.
The council will try to contact the parent to find out how they want their child to be cared for if this happens.
You can read more about the eligible minors scheme.
Updates to this page
Published 16 January 2023Last updated 31 January 2025 + show all updates
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Changes to the Homes for Ukraine sponsor eligibility criteria - to allow a parent or legal guardian to sponsor their child.
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Information added advising that parents / legal guardians must not leave their children in the care of the sponsor for a prolonged time or repeatedly.
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First published.