Staying Put and Leaving Care in Wales: Support for Young People Aged 18+
The moment a young person turns 18, foster care as a legal arrangement ends. But the need for stability, support, and a safe home does not. Wales has its own scheme for addressing this — and it is distinct from the "Staying Put" arrangement that operates in England.
"When I Am Ready": Wales's Approach
Wales does not use the phrase "Staying Put." The Welsh Government scheme is called "When I Am Ready," and it operates under its own distinct guidance rather than simply mirroring England's model.
Under "When I Am Ready," a young person who is looked after by a local authority can choose to remain living with their foster carer after the age of 18. The local authority continues to provide financial support to the household for this extended arrangement, acknowledging that young people leaving care need the same gradual transition to independence that any parent would offer their own child.
Financial support through "When I Am Ready" can continue until the young person reaches 21 — or until the age of 25 if they are in education or training. This is a significant commitment and reflects the Welsh Government's stated position of treating care-experienced young people as "our children."
What the Transition Looks Like
For the foster carer, agreeing to a "When I Am Ready" arrangement means a formal extension of the placement beyond 18. The local authority and the young person agree on the arrangement together. The payment structure changes slightly — it is no longer a fostering allowance but a "staying put" payment — but the financial support continues.
The arrangement is voluntary on both sides. A young person cannot be compelled to stay, and a foster carer cannot be compelled to host. But where the relationship is strong and the young person is not yet ready to live independently, it provides a formal mechanism to avoid the abrupt cliff-edge that care leavers often describe.
Local authorities in Wales have a statutory duty to help care leavers access accommodation, employment, and education, and to maintain contact with a Personal Adviser until the age of 25.
Leaving Care Support Beyond the Foster Placement
Whether or not a young person participates in "When I Am Ready," Welsh local authorities have a range of duties toward care leavers under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and associated guidance.
These include:
Pathway Planning: Every looked-after young person aged 16 or over should have a Pathway Plan in place. This is a forward-looking document that identifies the young person's goals for housing, education, employment, and personal relationships, and sets out what support the authority will provide.
Personal Adviser: Care leavers in Wales are entitled to a Personal Adviser — an allocated worker who provides ongoing support and advocacy. The duty to offer a Personal Adviser extends to age 25 for those in education or training.
Financial support: Local authorities may provide financial assistance with higher education costs, driving lessons, and setting up a first home. The specifics vary between the 22 authorities, so it is worth asking the relevant local authority directly.
Priority housing: Care-experienced young people in Wales have priority status for social housing. In practice, this varies by area, but the statutory framework requires local authorities to give their care leavers' housing needs serious weight.
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The Foster Carer's Role Beyond 18
Many foster carers maintain a meaningful relationship with young people well beyond the formal end of the placement, whether or not there is a "When I Am Ready" arrangement. Welsh fostering agencies increasingly recognize this as part of the professional role rather than an informal add-on.
Some agencies provide continued access to their support structures for carers who are hosting a "When I Am Ready" young person, including access to the Supervising Social Worker and out-of-hours support lines. Carers should confirm what ongoing support will look like before agreeing to an extended arrangement.
The care-leaver shortage in Wales is real: The Fostering Network has highlighted that growing placement instability means more young people are reaching 18 without the stable base that makes a successful transition possible. As a foster carer, the relationships you build during a placement are part of the answer.
For a full picture of the approval process and what Welsh fostering involves from enquiry to long-term placement, the Wales Fostering Approval Guide covers the legal framework, the financial arrangements, and the support structure in one place.
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