Arrangements for Care Leavers aged 18 and above to stay on with their former foster carers.

Full text of a policy to help support care leavers to stay with their former foster carers.

The Staying Put duty contained in the Children and Families Act 2014 came into force on 13th May 2014. This legal duty requires every local authority to provide financial support for every young person who wants to say with their foster carer and with their foster carer’s agreement from their 18th for any length of time up to their 21st birthday.

Once the young person reaches 18 years and legal adulthood, the local authority is no longer making a placement but facilitating an arrangement.

The “Staying Put Living Together Agreement” meeting takes place shortly before the young person’s 18th birthday. It should always include the Staying Put carer, the young person and their Social Worker. It can also include the carer’s Supervising Social Worker.

Its purpose is for the young person and carer to agree practical arrangements, identify their expectations of each other and the likely differences between the former foster placement and the new Staying Put arrangement. Many expectations will be similar to those when the young person was fostered but some may be different.

This is an agreement which allows the licensee, an “excluded occupier on a licence” (young person) a non-secure temporary licence to occupy a room at the home of the landlord with the consent of Brighton & Hove Children’s Services.

Staying Put Covering letter to accompany application for Housing Benefit

Staying Put Covering letter to accompany application for Housing Benefit

Preparation for adulthood starts at an early age. It is a lifelong process, which needs to begin a long time before a young person becomes 16 years old. Foster carers and supported lodgings carers will be expected to play a significant part in the process of preparing a young person to make the transition into adulthood and living more independently.

Children in care often miss out on opportunities to learn as they use and talk about money as part of everyday family life. All children and young people need to experience and discuss the need to prioritise spending - talking about money as a normal part of life.