Three Young People Turned 18 this Summer, and all Three are Still Home
Three young people supported by Lorimer Fostering turned 18 this summer, and all three have stayed with their foster families.
What happened this summer
Over the summer, three wonderful young people supported by Lorimer foster carers had their 18th birthdays. All three are still living with the family they know. One carried on as an adult member of the household. The other two moved onto Staying Put arrangements, which are agreed and in place.
Our Registered Manager, Leanne, described these as great outcomes for all three young people. We couldn’t agree more. In fostering, the news that matters most is often quiet: no move, no crisis, just a young person who still has somewhere to come home to.
What Staying Put means
Staying Put lets a young person carry on living with their former foster carers after they turn 18. In England, local authorities have a legal duty to help and support these arrangements, under the Children and Families Act 2014. That support can last until the young person is 21.
It is a choice, and it needs two yeses. The young person has to want it, and so do their carers. Where both agree, the local authority must help to make it work, unless it decides the arrangement would not be right for the young person’s welfare.
In law, a Staying Put arrangement is no longer a foster placement. The young person is an adult living in the home of people they trust, not a child in care. Planning usually begins well before the 18th birthday, from around age 16, so that nobody is making big decisions on the day itself.
Why it matters at 18
For a young person in care, turning 18 can feel like a cliff edge. Support that has been there for years can change overnight, just as they are expected to manage college, work, money and a home of their own.
Most young people do not do all of that at 18. Many stay with family into their early twenties, and many return home after a first attempt at independence. A young person who has grown up in care deserves the same chance to move on at their own pace.
Staying in a settled home does three things. It keeps the relationships that matter. It protects education and work from the upheaval of a move. And it gives a young adult a safe place to learn from mistakes, because a bad week does not mean losing their home.
What it looks like day to day
No two arrangements look the same, and that is the point. Each one is shaped around the young person and the household.
In many homes it is the ordinary things. A shared evening meal. A lift to college or work. Help with a form, a bank account or a first tenancy enquiry. Someone to ask how the day went, and someone who notices when it did not go well.
The balance shifts too. A young adult has more say over their routine, their space and their plans. Carers move from making decisions for a child to supporting decisions made by an adult. Done well, it feels less like care and more like family.
Beyond 18: education, work and independence
These three young people are part of a wider picture. Across the young people we support, there has been steady progress towards independence. Some have settled into new education settings. Others have tried work experience. Some have started their first paid work. Others are making plans for college, training or apprenticeships.
Each step is small on its own. Together they show what a young person can build when the ground under them stays steady. Moving on works best when it is a choice made from a place of security, not a deadline that arrives whether someone is ready or not.
What it takes from carers and the team
Staying Put does not happen by accident. It takes carers who are willing to keep their door open, often while still caring for other children. It takes a young person who trusts the home enough to stay. And it takes planning between the carers, the young person, the supervising social worker and the local authority.
Guidance says foster carers offering Staying Put should receive financial support, so that they are not left out of pocket. The exact level is set by each local authority.
So, a thank you is due. To the carers who turned an 18th birthday into a beginning rather than an ending: you are the reason these stories exist. And to the Lorimer team who planned and supported each arrangement, well done.
Thinking about fostering?
If you have ever wondered whether you could offer a young person a home, a future, or a place to come back to, we would love to hear from you. You do not need to have all the answers. We run free introduction workshops online, where you can learn about fostering, ask questions and meet the team, with no assessment and no obligation.
Lorimer has been supporting foster carers and children for over 20 years, offering guidance, training, and 24/7 support to help every placement thrive. Whether you’re ready to start your fostering journey or just have a few questions, we’re here to help.
Get in touch with Lorimer Fostering today to find out how you can make a difference – and help more foster children settle into loving, supportive homes. Submit the enquiry form below and our friendly fostering adviser Rachael will give you a call.
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