Are children leaving the foster-care system without adequate support?
In most cases state funding for children in care ends when they reach 18. Many of these children are leaving the security of the system without having a support network in place. After a disrupted upbringing, independence can leave many young people feeling isolated and abandoned.
Without the framework of an institution or a family to fall back upon many young people leaving the foster care system will become homeless.
Fortunately, following a £40 million funding boost, it is now the local authorities’ legal obligation to offer financial support to young people who want to stay with their foster families until their 21st birthday. With the average age of leaving the family home rising to 24, this reform increases the parity between young people from care and their peers.
Team LondonFostering.