A study recently published by UNICEF and the National Coordination of Care Communities (CNCA) has revealed that only 4 percent of the over 17,000 unaccompanied foreign minors hosted in Italy in 2025 lived with a foster family.
Over 12,100 minors crossed the Mediterranean Sea on their own to reach Italy in 2025, with a total of more than 17,500 migrant and refugee children and teens living in a hosting facility in the same year. However, only 4 percent of the minors lived with a foster family, with the sole exception of children and teens of Ukrainian origin, according to the report 'Who is hosting?', drafted by UNICEF and Italy's National coordination of care communities (CNCA).
The study consisted of a preliminary qualitative analysis of the profiles of foster families hosting unaccompanied minors.
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The study's details
The study was conducted through an anonymous survey of 61 families already active within the Terreferme project, jointly promoted by UNICEF and CNCA, to promote foster care.
The questionnaires collected information on social and demographic factors, values and interests, satisfaction with the quality of life, and the experiences connected to foster care.
The analysis was based on the self-evaluation of participants.
Overall, 70 percent of participants were aged 40 to 60, they were often married or cohabited and had children, with a significant presence of over-60s (26 percent).
More than 80 percent said they were married or lived with a partner, and 60 percent were already parents. Many were employees and self-employed and had a higher degree.
From a social standpoint, the group presented high levels of inter-personal trust, with members saying they were open towards different cultures.
Some 95 percent of those surveyed agreed on the fact that migrant people contribute to cultural enrichment, and the great majority opposed stereotypes associating immigration with crime or conflict.
Most said they had become foster parents to help boys and girls become independent (95 percent) and because they were open to intercultural experiences (88 percent).
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UNICEF calls for 'system supporting hosts'
"Foster care isn't simply an act of solidarity, but a strategy of protection able to offer stability, affection and a development opportunity for children and teens, contributing to building a more inclusive and sustainable system for everybody," said Nicola Dell'Arciprete, UNICEF's coordinator of the response in favour of migrant and refugee minors in Italy.
"It is a concrete investment in the future of kids and the community. To ensure that more migrant and refugee minors have the same opportunities as their peers, it is essential to build a system that supports hosts, removing obstacles and making this path sustainable over time," he added.
According to Liviana Marelli, the official in charge of CNCA's nationwide policies for minors and families, "foster care is a project giving value to the responsibility of single families and also highlights the collective responsibility of all the individuals involved so that the foster family is never alone but feels part of a shared project and is constantly supported and accompanied in the management of the single hosting and social integration project."
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