A LONG WAY FROM HOME

When a taxi drew up with a teenage refugee who had been through hell, Kat Goldin's family changed forever

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We heard the taxi arrive outside and leapt into frantic action. My husband Kevin and I hurriedly pushed the two barking dogs into the far room, yelled up to our three children, grabbed jumpers and stumbled out into the dark courtyard. The outside bulb over our doorway was broken, so the only light was what escaped our windows and the yellowish glare from inside the cab. Inside was a young refugee to whom we'd offered a home.

Our journey to this moment in December 2021 had started just a few months earlier, when an ad appeared on my Facebook feed. Stirling Council needed families to host unaccompanied young people seeking asylum. These were teenagers aged 16 to 18, who had travelled to the UK seeking refugee status, asking to remain here for their own safety.

Instantly I emailed social services to express an interest. When I told Kevin later, he simply said, 'Of course.' We had always talked about fostering when the kids were older.

We signed up to be host parents to kids who are part of the National Transfer Scheme, a Home Office initiative to move unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people out of overcrowded hotels in the south east of England and place them around the UK, ideally with families. Those who get involved in the scheme receive a small payment for room and full board.

Over the next three months, we completed an intensive home study, had a medical to ensure that we were fit and healthy, and asked friends and co-workers for references. We even did risk assessments on the goats, pigs, farm cats and chickens at our small croft.