How does staying put affect a foster carer’s approval?

A staying put arrangement is considered separately from a foster carer’s approval, but it can lead to a review of the carer’s circumstances and approval terms. The fostering service will assess whether the household can safely support the young person after their eighteenth birthday while continuing to meet the needs of any children placed there, or accept new placements.

The young person is no longer counted as a foster child once staying put begins. This means the arrangement does not usually count towards the number of children included in the carer’s approval. However, their continued residence still affects the practical use of the home, the household’s routines and the carer’s available capacity.

During the review, the fostering service may consider:

• whether the young person has suitable and private accommodation;
• how bedrooms and other household spaces will be used;
• whether the home remains suitable for the age, sex and needs of children who may be placed;
• any safeguarding, privacy or compatibility issues between the young person and future placements;
• the young person’s level of independence and any support they still require;
• whether the carer has enough time and emotional capacity to continue fostering;
• how household members feel about the arrangement; and
• whether any changes are needed to the carer’s approval terms or fostering plan.

A staying put arrangement does not normally mean that a carer must stop fostering. If the assessment shows that the home remains suitable and the carer can meet all relevant responsibilities, the carer may continue to foster. In some circumstances, however, the service may decide that the household can accept fewer placements, should only be considered for particular placement types, or needs a different approval arrangement while the young person remains at home.

The carer should tell the fostering service as early as possible if a young person is expected to remain in the household after turning 18. Planning should cover the end of the foster placement, the proposed staying put agreement, accommodation, finances, support, education or employment, household expectations and safeguarding. The assessment may also need to take account of any changes to household members and may involve updated checks or records where required by the fostering service.

The staying put agreement and the foster carer’s approval serve different purposes. The agreement sets out how the young person and carer will live together, including contributions, responsibilities, boundaries, visitors, privacy and plans for greater independence. The approval relates to the carer’s suitability and the home’s ability to provide foster care. Agreeing to staying put does not itself create a new foster placement or extend the young person’s looked-after status.

Approval is normally considered through the fostering service’s review processes, including the carer’s regular review and any review triggered by a significant change in circumstances. The carer should be given an opportunity to share information, raise concerns and explain how the household will manage. If the service proposes changing approval terms, it should explain the reasons and the next steps under its procedures.

For many households, the main practical issue is balancing the young person’s need for continuity with the needs of children who may be fostered in the future. Open discussion with the supervising social worker can help identify whether bedrooms, routines, transport, finances, boundaries or support arrangements need to change. If circumstances later change, the staying put arrangement and the carer’s approval can be reviewed again rather than treated as fixed for the whole period.