If you are unable to login please go to the 'Register' tab at the top of the page
Changes in the law across the UK have led to the development of arrangements known as Staying Put in England, When I am Ready in Wales and Continuing Care in Scotland (which is accessible from age 16). Northern Ireland has its own arrangement for caring for a young person aged 18-plus called Going the Extra Mile.
Five years ago, with the support of our members, The Fostering Network led a campaign to change the law in each of the countries of the UK to allow young people to stay with their foster carers up to the age of 21.
Young people are missing out on the chance to stay living with their foster families after they turn 18. Although there is now provision in the law for young people to stay until they are 21 across the UK, financial and cultural barriers mean this is not happening often enough.
According to our 2018 State of the Nation survey:
Until the beginning of this decade, the majority of fostered young people were required to leave their foster home as soon as they turned 18. This is far earlier than young people outside the care system, who on average leave home at 24, and too early for many fostered young people who often need more support and time as they transition into adulthood.
You can download or listen to All About Fostering using the player below.
To receive notifications of the latest episodes straight to your device, search for All About Fostering your podcast app and subscribe for free.
Music (unless stated): "Heartwarming" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
From April 2016, young people in Wales will have a right to stay with their foster families beyond the age of 18, known as the When I am Ready scheme. This change to the law came into force with the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, and is the result of a joint campaign between The Fostering Network and Action for Children.
The implementation of the Children and Families Act 2014, part 5 Welfare of Children (98) means that local authorities in England are required to facilitate, monitor and support staying put arrangements for fostered young people until they reach the age of 21, where this is what they and their foster carers want unless the local authority considers that the staying put arrangement is not consistent with the welfare of the young person.
