When Care Doesn't End at 18

The recent review into the deaths of care-experienced young adults is deeply upsetting to read.  The stories are heartbreaking, but highlight something that many young people, foster carers and professionals have been saying for years: that the transition from care to adulthood can be one of the most difficult and vulnerable periods in a young person's life. The review found that young people leaving care can experience profound isolation, with a significant drop in support at exactly the point they are trying to navigate the challenges of adulthood.

Working alongside children and young people in care, we see the emotional pressure that often builds, sometimes unconsciously, as a young person's 18th birthday approaches. Whether a young person is offered a Staying Put arrangement or not, turning 18 can bring a significant shift in expectations. Suddenly the conversation changes and questions about employment, finances, independence, accommodation and future plans become more prominent. 

Yet the young person themselves may not feel ready for any of those things.

The truth is that ‘the system’ often expects care-experienced young people to navigate adulthood earlier, and with far less support, than many other young people their age. Most young adults continue to rely heavily on their families well into their twenties. They need emotional support, practical guidance, financial help, encouragement and somewhere safe to return when life becomes difficult.

For young people who have experienced trauma, loss, separation or instability, that need for connection does not disappear at 18, it becomes even more important.

Whilst Staying Put arrangements have been a positive development, we regularly hear from carers about the challenges they face during the leaving care years. The level of need does not suddenly reduce because a young person has reached their 18th birthday. In reality, support often needs to increase as young people navigate education, employment, relationships, housing, finances, identity and all the uncertainties that come with becoming an adult.

At Community Foster Care, we work hard to ensure that carers do not lose access to the support they need because a young person turns 18. We recognise that the relationship between a young person and their foster family does not suddenly become less important, and neither does the ongoing relationship between our agency and our carers and young people

This often means us challenging traditional approaches and asking local authorities to think differently about how Staying Put arrangements are structured and supported. The aim to ensure continuity of support and relationships which have been built often, over many years. 

We continue to advocate for approaches that recognise the reality of young people's lives, support carers to continue providing stability and connection, and ensure that we do not underestimate what is needed during the transition to adulthood.

We therefore welcome the growing recognition that more investment and support is needed in this area. We want to see foster carers equipped and supported to continue offering the stability and connection that young people need during this transition. 

Most importantly, we want to see systems that place relationships at the centre.

That is why we welcomed Children's Minister Josh MacAlister's words. He said:

"We owe it to these young people, and to every care experienced person, to change care so that we make enduring relationships the central obsession of the care system. Care must build and not break the relationships that young people need, and this must be the new north star."[gov.uk]

We could not agree more.

What gives us hope is that we see every day what is possible when those relationships endure.

Across Community Foster Care, we have countless examples of young adults in their twenties and beyond who still see their foster family as their family. 

These relationships have outlasted fostering approvals, funding arrangements and statutory involvement.

They have become family.

This is what we want for every child and young person in our care. 

We are proud of the many examples we see within our community, but we are not complacent. We know this is hard work. We know carers need greater support during the leaving care years. We know there is more to learn and more to improve. And we know the current system does not always make this easy.

Community Foster Care has never been an organisation that simply accepts "the way things have always been done". We will continue to challenge systems that do not work for children and young people. We will continue to be tenacious in our efforts to advocate for the support that carers and young people need.