| answer text |
<p>The government keeps the Staying Put policy under constant review, including through
monitoring data from local authorities on take-up by young people, engagement with
the sector, and reviewing information from Ofsted inspections of local authorities.
Staying Put was also considered as part of the independent fostering review undertaken
by Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers, published in February 2018. Staying Put has helped
thousands of care leavers to transition more smoothly from care to independence, and
provides continuity of relationships and care arrangements. The latest data shows
that increasing numbers of care leavers are living in Staying Put arrangements. In
the year ending March 2018, 55% of 18 year olds chose to Stay Put, which is an increase
of 4% compared to 2017.</p><p>The government does not believe that introducing a national
minimum allowance for Staying Put carers is the right way forward. Unlike children
in foster care, young people in Staying Put arrangements are adults and may be in
work, or claiming benefits. These financial sources can be used to contribute to the
cost of providing the Staying Put arrangement, in a similar way that young people
who are still living at home with their parents may contribute to the cost of running
the household.</p><p>The amount of funding the government has provided to local authorities
in 2018/19 to implement Staying Put is £23.30 million, with a further £23.77 million
committed for 2019/20. Decisions on funding beyond March 2020 will be subject to the
outcome of the next Spending Review.</p><p>The level of financial support local authorities
provide for each Staying Put arrangement depends on individual needs and circumstances,
with the amount that the carer receives negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Statutory
guidance makes clear that local authorities must give careful consideration to the
impact of the Staying Put arrangement on the family’s financial position. Local authorities
must consider all the factors relating to each local Staying Put arrangement, with
the current arrangements allowing local authorities to cover all reasonable costs
that may support the care leaver to remain living with their former foster carer.</p><p>The
government does not believe that a foster carer’s approval should automatically lapse
after 12 months if they are a Staying Put carer and will communicate this message
to the sector.</p>
|
|
