Leaving foster care

[kiwifruitisfun]

Could somebody please point me in the right direction about what happens in the UK when a child leaves foster care. Perhaps I should ask what is supposed to happen!

My experience goes back some years and was based on NZ rather than UK.

Children in the UK who are on a Care Order which of course means the LA is the corporate parent, are entitled to remain in foster care until they are aged 18 years and then they are eligible for after-care services until they are aged 21 and 24 if in full time education.

There are cases where the carers can no longer cope with the teenager or he/she does not want to remain in foster care. I know of cases where young people of 16 years are placed in "independent living" which usually means a grotty bedsit and with very little support. It does of course vary between different LA's but I know some of the inner cities are routinely abandoning young people into independent living at age 16. Needless to say this means that the most disadvantaged young people are expected to be able to live alone with either no support or very limited support.

I am talking about situations before these viscous public sector cuts are being made, so god only knows what will happen now as Social service departments along with all other public services have to cut millions from their budgets because of the bankers.

But then this coalition government is not interested in children and young people but in power and privatising every damn thing in site. Sorry I know I am going off the point, but in a way I'm not because so many young people are going to suffer because of these budget cuts. At the same time Connexions (where young people can get support, help and advice) are alos being closed down, so the rug is being pulled from under the young people's feet.

Thank you for this detailed answer. I had hoped the situation in the UK would be better than it used to be in NZ but it looks as if things have gone backwards! I am now feeling a bit guilty because I had been struggling to believe that part of a recent TV programme (Neil M) could be true in a civilised society!