In the Czech system, there is currently limited possibility for foster care - in the form of substitute family care - for unaccompanied foreign children that have been placed in institutional care. Foster care has never been implemented for these children, and the relevant legislature does not allow for their adoption. From the point of view of the best interests of the child, which is highlighted in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is appropriate in the Czech Republic to allow these children to stay with a host family for the maximum possible period of time that the law allows.

This document clarifies this issue of lack of options for the care of unaccompanied foreign minors, examining the related legislation, the system of care in the Czech Republic, the reasons why minors leave their countries of origin and their specific needs, and also gives an overview of European good practice in family foster care. Further, it provides a methodological proposal for the implementation of foster care for unaccompanied foreign minors in the Czech Republic, including:

• how to ensure recruitment, preparation and selection of prospective hosts;
• how to match prospective hosts with children;
• where and how to draw on foster care support.