diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_cast_nested.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_cast_nested.cc
index 392fd9fbb70..653c33bcb10 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_cast_nested.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_cast_nested.cc
@@ -236,9 +236,9 @@ struct CastVarToFixedList {
     RETURN_NOT_OK(builder.Reserve(in_array.length * list_size));
     for (int64_t offset_i = 0; offset_i < in_array.length; ++offset_i) {
       if (in_array.IsNull(offset_i)) {
-        // If element is null, just fill in the null slots with first value.
+        // If element is null, fill in the null slots with null values.
         for (int64_t j = 0; j < list_size; ++j) {
-          builder.UnsafeAppend(0);
+          builder.UnsafeAppendNull();
         }
       } else {
         int64_t value_i = offsets[offset_i];
@@ -275,18 +275,25 @@ struct CastVarToFixedList {
     DCHECK(cast_values_datum.is_array());
     std::shared_ptr<ArrayData> cast_values = cast_values_datum.array();
 
-    const auto* offsets = in_array.GetValues<src_offset_type>(1);
-    if (in_array.GetNullCount() > 0 && !nulls_have_correct_length) {
-      // We need to fill in the null slots, so we'll use Take on the values.
-      ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(auto indices, BuildTakeIndices(in_array, list_size, ctx));
-      ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(auto take_result,
-                            Take(cast_values, Datum(indices),
-                                 TakeOptions::NoBoundsCheck(), ctx->exec_context()));
-      DCHECK(take_result.is_array());
-      cast_values = take_result.array();
-    } else if (offsets[0] != 0) {
-      // No nulls, but we need to slice the values
-      cast_values = cast_values->Slice(offsets[0], in_array.length * list_size);
+    if (cast_values->length == 0) {
+      ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(
+          auto null_values,
+          MakeArrayOfNull(child_type, in_array.length * list_size, ctx->memory_pool()));
+      cast_values = null_values->data();
+    } else {
+      const auto* offsets = in_array.GetValues<src_offset_type>(1);
+      if (in_array.GetNullCount() > 0 && !nulls_have_correct_length) {
+        // We need to fill in the null slots, so we'll use Take on the values.
+        ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(auto indices, BuildTakeIndices(in_array, list_size, ctx));
+        ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(auto take_result,
+                              Take(cast_values, Datum(indices),
+                                   TakeOptions::NoBoundsCheck(), ctx->exec_context()));
+        DCHECK(take_result.is_array());
+        cast_values = take_result.array();
+      } else if (offsets[0] != 0 || cast_values->length > in_array.length * list_size) {
+        // No nulls or nulls have correct length, but we need to slice the values
+        cast_values = cast_values->Slice(offsets[0], in_array.length * list_size);
+      }
     }
 
     out_array->child_data.emplace_back(std::move(cast_values));
diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_cast_test.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_cast_test.cc
index 864ec4afce0..a232511c2c7 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_cast_test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_cast_test.cc
@@ -3787,6 +3787,72 @@ TEST(Cast, ListToFSL) {
   // Invalid fixed_size_list cast if inconsistent size
   ASSERT_RAISES(Invalid, Cast(ArrayFromJSON(list(int32()), "[[0, 1, 2], null, [3, 4]]"),
                               CastOptions::Safe(fixed_size_list(int32(), 3))));
+
+  // GH-54570: Null list array with empty child array cast to FixedSizeList
+  {
+    auto child = ArrayFromJSON(int64(), "[]");
+    ASSERT_OK_AND_ASSIGN(
+        auto from,
+        ListArray::FromArrays(*ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[0, 0]"), *child,
+                              *ArrayFromJSON(boolean(), "[false]")));
+    auto to = ArrayFromJSON(fixed_size_list(int64(), 3), "[null]");
+    CheckCast(from, to);
+  }
+
+  // GH-54570: LargeList with empty child cast to FixedSizeList
+  {
+    auto child = ArrayFromJSON(int64(), "[]");
+    ASSERT_OK_AND_ASSIGN(
+        auto from,
+        LargeListArray::FromArrays(*ArrayFromJSON(int64(), "[0, 0]"), *child,
+                                   *ArrayFromJSON(boolean(), "[false]")));
+    auto to = ArrayFromJSON(fixed_size_list(int64(), 3), "[null]");
+    CheckCast(from, to);
+  }
+
+  // GH-54570: Multiple null lists with empty child
+  {
+    auto child = ArrayFromJSON(int64(), "[]");
+    ASSERT_OK_AND_ASSIGN(
+        auto from,
+        ListArray::FromArrays(*ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[0, 0, 0]"), *child,
+                              *ArrayFromJSON(boolean(), "[false, false]")));
+    auto to = ArrayFromJSON(fixed_size_list(int64(), 2), "[null, null]");
+    CheckCast(from, to);
+  }
+
+  // GH-54570: Null list with unallocated/null child data buffers
+  {
+    auto child_data = ArrayData::Make(int64(), 0, {nullptr, nullptr});
+    auto list_bitmap = ArrayFromJSON(boolean(), "[false]")->data()->buffers[1];
+    auto list_offsets = ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[0, 0]")->data()->buffers[1];
+    auto list_data = ArrayData::Make(list(int64()), 1, {list_bitmap, list_offsets},
+                                     {child_data}, 1);
+    auto from = MakeArray(list_data);
+    auto to = ArrayFromJSON(fixed_size_list(int64(), 3), "[null]");
+    CheckCast(from, to);
+  }
+
+  // GH-54570: Null slots with length 0 alongside valid slots
+  {
+    auto child = ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[10, 20]");
+    ASSERT_OK_AND_ASSIGN(
+        auto from,
+        ListArray::FromArrays(*ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[0, 0, 2]"), *child,
+                              *ArrayFromJSON(boolean(), "[false, true]")));
+    auto to = ArrayFromJSON(fixed_size_list(int32(), 2), "[null, [10, 20]]");
+    CheckCast(from, to);
+  }
+
+  {
+    auto child = ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[10, 20]");
+    ASSERT_OK_AND_ASSIGN(
+        auto from,
+        ListArray::FromArrays(*ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[0, 2, 2]"), *child,
+                              *ArrayFromJSON(boolean(), "[true, false]")));
+    auto to = ArrayFromJSON(fixed_size_list(int32(), 2), "[[10, 20], null]");
+    CheckCast(from, to);
+  }
 }
 
 TEST(Cast, CastMap) {