What Happens When a Young Person in Care Turns 18?

Whether you’re considering fostering teenagers or you already have teens placed with you, you’ll no doubt be wondering what happens when they reach 18.

In the past, young people were expected to leave their foster placements as soon as they turned eighteen. However, this is thankfully no longer the case, and there are now a range of options available.

We understand that preparing to leave care can be an unsettling time, both for young people and their carers, which is why we’re aiming to demystify the process, and explain what happens when a young person in care turns 18.

The Legalities and Language of Leaving Care

When a young person turns 18, they are no longer considered to be ‘in care’, but the local authority still has a duty to provide support to care-leavers up to the age of 21 (or 25, if required).

There are several pieces of legislation that set out what support care-experienced young people in England are entitled to.

These are:

The Children Act (1989)

The (Children) Leaving Care Act (2000)

The Children & Social Work Act 2017

There’s a lot of special terminology used when talking about children and young people leaving care, such as ‘relevant child’ and ‘eligible child’, which can make it confusing for care-leavers and those supporting them to understand what exactly they’re entitled to.

This online tool by Coram Voice can help you identify if you qualify as a care-leaver and if so, what level of support you can expect to receive.

Pathway Plans - Moving Towards Independence

When a foster child turns 16, their social worker should begin putting together a ‘Pathway Plan’. As the name suggests, this is a plan that sets out a pathway on how the young person will be supported towards independence in adulthood.

While most 16-year-olds aren’t yet ready to begin living independently, a Pathway Plan can help identify what their hopes and aspirations are for their adult lives, and how they can be supported to achieve them.

It sets out what support they’ll receive, and covers all areas of a young person’s life, from education and accommodation to finances and relationships. Pathway Plans should be made in conjunction with the young person, and their views taken into account. The plan should then be reviewed every six months, and updated if there are any significant changes to a person’s situation.

Post-18 Options For Young People Leaving Care

There are several options for children in care as they approach their 18th birthday. The right one depends very much on the individual and their circumstances.

‘Staying Put’ Arrangements

If a young person wants to continue living in their current foster placement after they turn 18, and their foster carers are happy for them to stay on, a Staying Put arrangement can be put in place.

Staying Put is a formal arrangement, and while the young person will no longer be considered a ‘foster child’, foster carers can still continue to support them in the same way, and will still receive an allowance to help them do so.

Supported Living For Care Leavers

Some young people are keen to take the next step towards independent living, but may not be quite ready to go it alone. In which case, a supported lodgings arrangement can help them spread their wings, while providing a safety net.

Supporting living can vary from shared accommodation alongside other care-leavers with 24/7 professional support, or a room in a private host’s home who can be on hand to provide support and guidance as needed.

Private Accommodation

Alternatively, for those young people who are ready to live independently, a range of private accommodation is available for care-leavers, ranging from council or housing association properties to private lets. Even when a care-leaver moves into their own place, they should still be supported by a designated personal advisor.

University Halls

For those going on to higher education from foster care,  many universities now offer year-round accommodation so that care-leavers don’t need to worry about finding somewhere else to stay during the holidays.

How Foster Carers Can Support a Smooth Transition From Care to Independence

As a foster carer, you’re in a fantastic position to support young people leaving care and to help make their transition from foster care to independence a smooth experience.

Encourage Independence

Preparing for independence should start long before a young person is getting ready to leave care. Teenagers should be encouraged to get involved in helping around the house when appropriate, whether that’s cooking, shopping, budgeting or cleaning. You could teach them how to prepare simple meals or take them supermarket shopping so they understand how to eat well on a budget.

Young people leaving care need the same life skills as any other adult, and will need to feel confident in paying their bills, making phone calls, setting up and attending appointments and keeping themselves well when they’re living independently.

Be an Advocate

As a foster carer, you’re an advocate for the children in your care, and this doesn’t end just because they’re approaching adulthood. Make sure that your young person understands their next steps, and their rights. Encourage them to speak out and be heard in Pathway Planning meetings about their future. Be clear about what support you can offer them, and where they can turn to for help should they need it.

Dream Big

The latest figures suggest that just 14% of care-experienced young people go on to university, compared to around 47% of young people who haven’t been in care. However, this doesn’t have to be the case! With the right support, many care-leavers are able to make the transition from care to university life, and achieve academic success.

Here at Olive Branch we believe all children and young people should be encouraged and supported to reach their full potential, regardless of care experience. As a foster carer you can help teenagers not only dream big about their future but also take the necessary steps to achieve success.

Whether it’s supporting a young person through exams, attending university open days or encouraging them to explore training and employment opportunities, by believing in their ability to succeed you’ll boost their own self-belief and increase their chances of achieving their ambitions.

Connection and Community

Many care-experienced children and young people experience frequent moves and disruption both before and after coming into care. They may have had to ‘start over’ several times, moving to new homes, new areas and new schools. This constant upheaval can affect their ability to put down roots, and form secure attachments to places and people.

This instability can then follow young people into their adult lives, and manifest as restlessness and an inability to settle in one place or sustain relationships, or on the flip-side it can lead to fear and anxiety around change, and prevent young people from fulfilling their potential.

As a foster carer to teenagers, you can provide a point of connection and community for young people, and show them that while they may be physically moving on, they still have the backing of their fostering family.

Could You Support a Young Person in Their Move Towards Independence?

There’s no denying that caring for teenagers can be challenging, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. Fostering a teenager gives you the opportunity to make a real difference to a young person’s life, and with the right support and encouragement, you could even change the direction of it entirely!

At Olive Branch, we know how complex and daunting leaving care can seem, both to young people and their carers. That’s why we offer such a robust package of training and support for our foster carers, and why our young people continue to be a part of the Olive Branch family no matter what their age. In fact, we have many young people who still keep in touch with their former foster carers and attend Olive Branch events many years after leaving care, and we love hearing how they’re getting on, and celebrating their achievements.

If you’re considering fostering teenagers, and would like to find out more, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch today for an informal chat with one of our friendly fostering advisors.