Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the maximum age for post-foster care arrangements to age 25.

The government is committed to supporting care leavers as they transition to independence.

Staying Put enables care leavers to prepare for independence more gradually in a stable and secure family setting. It enables young people to continue living with their former foster carer(s) when they turn age 18, potentially up to age 21, if both parties want this.

We are committed to Staying Put arrangements but must prioritise the introduction of the Staying Close duty in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which provides support to those who cannot benefit from Staying Put.

Staying Close offers tailored support for care leavers, including help to find and keep suitable accommodation and access to wraparound services such as health and wellbeing, education, training and employment. This measure ensures that eligible care leavers can receive support up to age 25, helping them to build stability and life skills and reducing the risk of homelessness and poor outcomes. This includes young people who might have previously been in a Staying Put arrangement.