Young people can be fostered for longer

The government has announced that children in care will be able to stay with foster families until they turn 21.

Young people in care  will still be able stay with foster families after they turn 18, following a new legal duty for councils to provide support.

£40 million over the next three years has been set aside to help local authorities provide the required financial support to foster families.

Edward Timpson, whose own family fostered nearly 90 children, said: “I know from the many foster children I grew up with how crucial it is for them to be given sufficient time to prepare for life after care.

“A growing number of local authorities already offer young people the choice to stay but with little financial support it can be challenging for their foster families. Now all councils will have to follow their example, and we are giving them £40 million towards the cost.”

Currently the service varies across the country and In some areas, teenagers are forced to live by themselves from 18 onwards. 18 year-olds will still have the choice living alone once they are legally adults.

Cllr David Simmonds, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Board, said: "Councils are working to ensure everything possible is done so that children in care have access to the same opportunities and life chances as their peers.

“Many councils already provide the opportunity for care leavers to stay beyond the age of 18, mirroring what many families do, but we recognise that some care leavers will want to be more independent and we need to ensure we are supporting this too

The move has been welcomed by the Fostering charities who have  campaigned for the changes to be brought in to protect the welfare of young people coming from care.

Robert Tapsfield, chief executive of the Fostering Network, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with this change in legal duty for local authorities, backed up with appropriate financial support, that will ensure that young people in England have the opportunity to enter adulthood supported by the foster families that have devoted their lives to caring for them.

“The Fostering Network, together with its members and young people, has campaigned tirelessly on this issue for many years. The evidence has always shown that it will make real change for young people who have previously faced the prospect of living alone too soon, and we congratulate the Government and in particular the children’s minister Edward Timpson for taking positive and constructive action.

“This change in the law will make a massive difference to the lives of this and future generations of care leavers in England.

“This issue has, however, not been resolved for young people in Wales and Scotland. We will continue to campaign for this change in the law to be replicated. The next stage of this work begins today with the launch of the Chance to Stay campaign in the Senedd, where we hope that the Welsh Government will also be persuaded of the benefits of allowing young people to stay until 21.”