Is Staying Put different to foster care?
When a foster child turns 18 they are no longer classed as a foster child. if they decided to stay put with their foster carers then the basically become an adult living with their foster family. If this is something that your foster child considers then they should discuss it with the supervising social worker.
The Staying Put arrangement isn’t designed to change the way you care for a young person. Although they are now living with you as an adult.
Although, of course, they are now no longer a child but an adult. Staying Put agreement is designed to get the young person ready for adulthood and will have a pathway plan which will help guide them.
The young persons stay with you is now covered by a licensed agreement, which is a bit similar to someone who wishes to rent a room from you. You will no longer be expected to give the child any money as he will now have an income of their own either through, work or apprenticeship wages or from benefits, or allowances if they are in higher education.
If they are not in education or work they are still entitled to benefits although the amount will vary. Young people can claim housing benefit for rent which will be payable to you.
As a Staying Put carer, the young person will still need your advice and guidance like they did when you had a foster care agreement with them but now the agreement is slightly different in the sense they are in a transition period where they are becoming adults.
Staying Put is a great initiative if utilised properly as it will allow for the children who go into care get a better care plan and a transition period so they can be prepared for the world and can stand on their own two feet.
