Telford MP, Lucy Allan is backing the Every Child Leaving Care Matters team to support all children and young people in care to 21 years of age.
On the 4th December 2013, the government announced that children who were in foster care would be allowed and supported to remain with their foster carers until they were 21 years of age. However this change did not extend to children and young people in children’s homes even though the residential sector often cares for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people who may be unable, or indeed choose not to be fostered.
Since then, there has been a campaign to end the two tier system whereby children in residential care care have to leave care at 18. The campaigners were consulted by Sir Martin Narey in the course of his review into residential care and put forward proposals for children in residential care to stay in touch or stay close to the care staff they had grown to trust.
Sir Martin's report, ‘Residential Care in England’, published on Monday, urges the Government to commit to introducing Staying Close and recommends the campaigners should help officials in the Department for Education (DfE) to develop the reform including advising on the pilot schemes.
In response to Sir Martin’s report the Department for Education has said it is committed to introducing ‘Staying Close’ following a series of pilots for the scheme.
Speaking after the event, Lucy Allan MP said: “I am very pleased to support the great work being done by these campaigners. They may be a small group of volunteers but they are making a big difference to improve the lives of children who live in residential care. I am pleased to see that children in residential care are a step closer to being offered the same support as those who grow up in foster care.”