What happens when a teenager turns 18 in foster care?

When a young person reaches 18 in foster care, the legal basis of their care changes and their leaving-care plan becomes the main framework for ongoing support. The local authority should work with the young person, their foster carer and other relevant professionals to agree suitable accommodation, financial arrangements, education or employment plans and practical help for adulthood.

What changes at 18?

Foster care is arranged for children, so the fostering placement normally comes to an end when the young person becomes an adult. This does not mean that all support stops. The local authority must assess the young person’s needs and provide or arrange the help to which they are entitled under leaving-care legislation.

The young person should have a pathway plan setting out their goals and the support needed to achieve them. This can cover:

• where they will live and how they will manage accommodation;
• education, training, employment or apprenticeships;
• health and wellbeing;
• money management, benefits and budgeting;
• identity, relationships and contact with important people;
• practical skills such as cooking, shopping and managing bills; and
• support with documents, applications and appointments.

The plan should be reviewed as the young person’s circumstances change. They should also have a personal adviser to help them understand their options, prepare for independence and stay connected with services. A young person can ask for their pathway plan or support to be reviewed if it no longer reflects their needs.

Can they stay with their foster carer?

Some young people remain with their former foster carer through a Staying Put arrangement. This is agreed between the young person, foster carer and local authority; it is not an automatic continuation of fostering and should be discussed well before the young person’s eighteenth birthday.

Before agreeing to Staying Put, everyone should clarify:

• how long the arrangement is intended to last;
• what contribution, if any, the young person will make towards household costs;
• how education, work, benefits and other income affect the arrangement;
• household expectations, privacy and visitors;
• the practical support the carer will continue to provide; and
• what will happen if the arrangement needs to end or circumstances change.

Staying Put is intended to support a gradual move towards independence. The young person remains an adult, so the relationship may feel different from a foster placement. Clear conversations about responsibilities and boundaries can help prevent misunderstandings. The local authority should explain the financial and practical arrangements to both the young person and the carer.

What financial support may be available?

Support depends on the young person’s legal status, circumstances and local authority. It may include help with accommodation, education or training costs, setting up a home, travel, essential items and managing money. A care leaver’s benefits position can also depend on whether they are in education, training or employment.

Foster carers should not assume that the fostering allowance will simply continue after the placement changes. A Staying Put arrangement has different funding and tax considerations, which the local authority should explain before the young person turns 18. If the young person moves elsewhere, their personal adviser should help them compare suitable accommodation and understand the costs involved.

What if the young person is not ready to live independently?

Turning 18 does not mean that a young person must manage every aspect of adult life immediately. The pathway plan should reflect their development, confidence, health, education and support network. Options may include Staying Put, supported accommodation, semi-independent housing, a suitable adult placement or another arrangement matched to their needs.

If a young person leaves foster care and later decides they need further help, they can contact their local authority or personal adviser to ask what support is available. Some care leavers remain entitled to assistance with education, training and transition planning into their mid-twenties, particularly where they are continuing an eligible programme.

What should carers do before the birthday?

• Ask the social worker when the pathway plan will be reviewed.
• Make sure the young person knows who their personal adviser is and how to contact them.
• Discuss whether Staying Put is wanted and realistic.
• Write down expectations about money, household responsibilities, privacy and support.
• Check the arrangements for education, employment, benefits, health appointments and important documents.
• Ask the local authority to explain funding, insurance, tax and any changes to the carer’s approval or role.

Good preparation allows the young person to make informed choices while keeping reliable support around them. The exact arrangements should always be confirmed with the child’s social worker, leaving-care team and personal adviser, because entitlements can differ according to the young person’s circumstances.