Staying put is an arrangement that allows young people to remain with their foster carers following their 18th birthday. It was formalized in the Children and Families Act 2014. The young person can stay until their 21st birthday or if on an agreed program of education or training, until the course is completed.
Importance and Implementation of Staying Put
The arrangement should be in the Pathway Plan if it’s in the young person’s interest and if they and their foster carer both want it. The support a former foster carer provides may differ from when fostering the young person. Their needs for training and helping the young person develop independent skills should be explored.
Staying Put for Foster Carers
The DfE has updated guidance to include reference to Staying Put. This will help plan how to establish staying put arrangements, covering important areas such as the support foster carers might require, and advice for young people.
All young people can remain in a Staying Put arrangement when they reach 18, if both want to stay. You can remain until you are ready to move on, depending on your needs. We would want 28 days notice before you move out so we can organize your next accommodation.