Safety and security in family life: Experiences of involuntary dislocation

Safety and security is at the heart of expectations of family life. Or is it? When Russia invaded Ukraine, it unleashed another massive movement of peoples in search of safety, fleeing from a lack of security, and forced to leave behind other loved ones, such as husbands, partners, fathers, and grandparents. Many countries, including the United Kingdom, offered to host dislocated Ukrainian mothers and their children as guests in family homes. The UK Government launched the “Homes for Ukraine” scheme in March 2022. The hosts need to be able to offer a spare room or a home for at least 6 months. The Government makes monthly thank you payments to the hosts to help continue their sponsorship of their Ukrainian guests. The matching of hosts and guests is carried out at the local government level with a visit to the host property to ensure it meets the required standard and also the safeguarding “disclosure and barring service” check. In June 2023, over 100,000 Ukrainian families are in the scheme. This recent and well-intentioned social experiment in guesting and hosting has brought forth both predictable and unforeseen consequences, and a re-visioning of the meaning and practice of family and family life. In this article, the authors explore some of the reported experiences of guests and hosts to examine what is meant by family, and what helps to create a felt sense of safety in family relationships.