Tries to separate out the needs of unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children arriving in the United Kingdom and Western Europe from the political debate over immigration and to offer guidance for social workers based on a study conducted of present social work practice with children and families engaged in resettlement. Unaccompanied refugee children in the UK must be classified and identified as to their origin, identity, and needs; caregivers must understand the child’s experience prior to arriving in the UK, and know how the process these children undergo will affect them. Using stories from actual practice, the importance of trust is shown, especially in light of the child’s experience with silence and secrets, as well as their need for social workers to provide humanitarian assistance, to help them bear witness and deal with deep sadness, and to see them as confederates who want companionship and will in the end survive due to their resilience. The program teaches the care giver to recognize the trauma of loss and separation and provide direction to assist children to cope effectively.
