Children and Young Persons Bill [HL]

These amendments are key parts of the theme of increasing stability for looked-after children. This is especially important during the stage at which a child is making the transition into adult life. Whether for a child going on to higher education or for a child who still needs intensive care, support during the transitional phase can make an enormous difference. There are some supported lodging arrangements that occasionally enable foster carers to provide a placement for a foster child post-18, but these are unregulated. More important, there is no guarantee of support for the foster carer of the young person. Our amendment in this group would extend the foster carer status to those former foster carers who continue to look after a child post-18. That means that they would be entitled to the training and benefits that come with the status of a foster carer. It would not necessarily mean that they would continue to receive the financial benefits that a particular placement entitled them to—although that would be ideal in a world of infinite resources—but it would allow them to access the more general benefits that come with the status of a foster carer, such as training, support from the local authority or social worker, an annual review and an easier way to continue their legal insurance. We want to avoid the current situation in which children are being cut off from care and support too early, with the risk of reversing what might otherwise have been a successful placement.