Who can access the Foster Care 18–21 Programme?

Access to the Foster Care 18–21 Programme is generally available to a young person who has been looked after by a local authority and is living with an approved foster carer when they reach 18. The arrangement must be agreed by the young person and the foster carer, with the local authority assessing whether continuing to live together is appropriate and making the necessary support arrangements.

Eligibility is based on the young person’s care history, current living arrangements and individual circumstances. The main considerations are:

• Care status: the young person must have been looked after by a local authority before turning 18. This normally includes young people who were subject to a care order or accommodated by the local authority.
• Living arrangement at 18: they should be living with their foster carer immediately before their 18th birthday. A young person living in residential care, with relatives or in another type of placement may need a different leaving-care arrangement.
• Willingness to continue: both the young person and the foster carer must want the arrangement to continue. It is not a placement that can be imposed on either person.
• Suitability: the local authority considers whether the home remains suitable, whether the relationship is stable and what support the young person and foster carer require.
• Planning for adulthood: the arrangement should fit with the young person’s pathway plan and their goals, such as education, employment, training, health needs or preparation for independent living.

Turning 18 does not automatically create an agreement to remain in the foster home. The young person should be involved in discussions well before their birthday, usually through their social worker, personal adviser and foster carer. These discussions should clarify what everyone expects, how the arrangement will be supported and what will happen if circumstances change.

The local authority will usually carry out or update an assessment and record the decision in the young person’s pathway plan. The young person should be given clear information about the proposed arrangement and have an opportunity to express their views. The foster carer’s circumstances, including their willingness and ability to continue providing a stable home, are also considered.

Access may be affected if the young person moves out before turning 18, the foster carer cannot continue caring for them, the placement is no longer suitable or the young person’s needs require a different type of accommodation. These situations do not mean that support ends. A care leaver may still be entitled to assistance from the local authority, but another arrangement may be more appropriate than the Foster Care 18–21 Programme.

A young person who has not been in foster care immediately before turning 18 may not qualify for this particular programme, even if they have previously been looked after. Similarly, a young adult who was never looked after by a local authority cannot normally access the programme simply because they need somewhere to live or have an existing relationship with a foster carer. Other housing, supported-living or leaving-care services may be relevant instead.

Where there is uncertainty about eligibility, the young person or foster carer should ask the social worker or personal adviser to explain the local authority’s decision. It is helpful to raise questions before the 18th birthday, including:

• Whether the young person meets the local authority’s eligibility criteria.
• Who will remain responsible for coordinating support.
• What agreement needs to be completed and when.
• How the arrangement will be reviewed.
• What alternative support is available if staying with the foster carer is not possible.

The programme is therefore intended for eligible care leavers who are already living in a foster placement at 18 and who, together with their foster carer, agree that remaining in the home is the right option. A careful assessment and written plan help ensure that access is based on the young person’s needs rather than on age alone.