These days, it’s quite rare for a young person outside the care system to permanently leave home when they turn 18. They might attend university, but will likely return when the semester ends and move back home when they graduate.
Rising costs make it very difficult for young people to fly the nest, and many aren’t quite ready to leave the safety net of home as they explore job opportunities and get to grips with adulthood.
So why then should we expect young people in care to leave their foster homes when they turn 18? They aren’t any more prepared than teenagers who’ve grown up with their birth families; in fact, they are more likely to face challenges when they leave home.
That’s where Staying Put can really make a difference and, in this article, we explore what it is, why it matters, and how it can truly change your young person’s long-term outcomes.
What is Staying Put fostering?
Young people in care no longer have to leave the foster home when they turn 18; they can choose to stay with their foster families until they’re 21 and beyond through a Staying Put agreement.
These arrangements give teenagers in care the same opportunity as their peers to continue living in a safe, secure, and loving environment while they figure out independent living.
It means they have somewhere to return to during the holidays if they go to university, and a supportive family they can continue to lean on as they take steps towards complete independence.
Why fostering beyond 18 matters
Let’s take a closer look at the challenges teenagers in foster care might face if they become fully independent at 18, and how you can continue to support them therapeutically with a Staying Put arrangement.
When change comes all at once
At ISP, we work hard to help children heal from their trauma; however, that doesn’t mean that when they reach 18, they won’t still feel the effects of their early childhood experiences.
It may have taken them years to get to a point where they finally feel safe, settled, and content in your home, which has become their Secure Base. For young people in care, having to leave home, find a job or start university, and manage a home of their own all at the same time, might feel like a rug is being pulled out from beneath them.
When these teenagers stay in their foster homes beyond 18, they can tackle each change one by one with you by their side. This can make changes feel easier to manage and prevent them from moving backwards on their healing journey.
Increased risk of housing insecurity
The sad reality is that care leavers are at an increased risk of becoming homeless. In the years 2023 to 2024, government data revealed that more than 4,000 care leavers aged between 18 and 20 were homeless. This has increased by 54% in five years.
From addiction and mental health problems to physical illness and death, homelessness puts young people who are already vulnerable at even greater risk. It also makes continuing their healing journey and reaching their full potential incredibly difficult because they’ll be back in survival mode, just trying to get through each day.
At ISP, we do whatever we can to prevent teenagers from becoming homeless when they leave care by providing support for children, which includes creating a pathway plan, accessing funding, finding housing, and more. But sometimes things can go wrong, and because these young people don’t have the safety net of a loving birth family to lean on, when things go wrong, they can go terribly wrong.
However, when you agree to provide post-18 fostering support through a Staying Put agreement, you stop your young person from ending up on the streets and give them the chance to succeed in adulthood.
Support becomes less accessible
When a young person leaves care, although they receive support from the local authority and ISP, it’s not the same as having a family to lean on in the comfort of their own home.
Not only that, but 18 is still young, and when a teenager leaves their foster home at this age, they are unlikely to have the experience and skills required to navigate all the new challenges they’ll face. Yes, they’ll learn these over time, but it’s a lot easier if you have a parental figure to support and guide you along the way.
Part of therapeutic foster care is preparing teenagers for independence, and allowing them to stay a little longer gives you more time to help them prepare. Whether that’s learning how to cook balanced and nutritious meals, create a realistic budget, or set up an insurance policy, your guidance at this stage of life could make all the difference to their outcomes.
Poorer outcomes
One study found that teenagers who continued to live with their foster parents after their 18th birthday were over twice as likely to continue in full-time education as those who didn’t. Education opens doors and can help young people break cycles of generational poverty.
But attending university or completing an apprenticeship can be difficult if you don’t have secure housing or people to rely on, and you’re worried about how you’ll make ends meet.
Therapeutic parenting is about helping children reach the best possible outcomes by giving them the support they need to heal from their trauma and build a brighter future. Providing Staying Put foster care is part of that. It gives these children the extra time they need to complete higher education and explore their options before taking on the world on their own, leading to more positive long-term outcomes.
Foster parent experiences of Staying Put
We asked two of our current foster parents to share their experiences of staying put.
Carol
Foster mum, Carol, is currently providing a home for two of her former foster children, aged 18 and 20, on staying put agreements. She also intends to do the same for the 17-year-old in her care once he reaches adulthood.
She said, “We started fostering the first child when he was eight, and he left at 21. We currently have two young people on Staying Put agreements. They both opted to stay put with me while they go to university.”
“They come back home during the holidays and will probably stay with me until they graduate, or longer, depending on what they want to do until they find a fit and then eventually look at going independent.”
James
Foster dad, James, has been opening his home to vulnerable young people for more than 15 years. He is currently caring for a young man on a Staying Put agreement while he studies at university, and is encouraging others to do the same.
He said, “To other foster carers considering a Staying Put arrangement, I would say it’s a great thing to do for your foster child and that it would really benefit them. I don’t think they are quite ready at 18 for independence. In my case, I encouraged my children who stayed put to further their education in one way or the other, which helped with their development and also ensured that they continued to get support from their local authority.”
“I also explained to my children that I am helping them to get ready for Independence so that at the right time, they will be able to operate independently with my support.”
How Staying Put agreements work
When your young person starts their pathway plan, it will include living arrangements when they leave care. The option to Stay Put in your home will be discussed with both you and your young person.
An agreement will then be made between you, your foster child, and the local authority, which will include things like household rules, your young person’s financial contribution, and an expected timeline for how long they’ll remain in your home.
Children’s services won’t be responsible for your teenager in the way they were before; however, the local authority will provide support until they’re 21 or longer if they’re in full-time education or training.
If you continue to foster other children, your young person will need to undergo a DBS because they’ll be over 18 and considered an adult.
Do foster parents still receive an allowance?
Yes – you’ll receive an allowance if your young person stays with you beyond 18 from your local authority. How much you receive will differ depending on where you live and which local authority you fall under.
You’ll also receive a financial contribution from your young person to cover some of their living expenses. This gives them a chance to learn about financial responsibility and prepare them for budgeting once they leave your home.
Learn more about Staying Put agreements
If you’re fostering teenagers, Staying Put agreements can prevent them from becoming homeless, ending up in prison, and going backwards on their healing journey.
If you’d like to learn more, talk to your supervising social worker, call us on 0800 0857 989, or submit your details via our enquiry form.
Together, we can help care leavers walk into a promising future where they feel safe, stable, and ready to take on the world.
