When a child in foster care reaches 18 the funding to the foster parent ceases regardless of what time of the year or at what stage in the life of the young person this birthday occurs. For instance, if a child turns 18 at the beginning of their last year in 6th form they are classed as an adult and the fostering allowances are no longer paid to the foster carer. The young person then has to claim housing benefit and income support and hope that their carer has the room to keep them on in their home. Some carers will take the hit to their allowances and see the youngster through but more often than not they can't afford to, especially if they are career foster carers.

When foster care works, young people feel like they are part of a family, sometimes for the first time in their lives. Imagine a successful placement with a child staying in the same home for several years having to deal with this disruption in their final year of A levels. Also, imagine this happening to a child in foster care with a birthday in December! This kind of thing doesn't happen to our birth children (who generally don't leave home until they are in their mid 20's) so why do we let it happen to our most vulnerable children? The government say that we have a "staying put" arrangement in this country for young people who want to stay with their carers until they are 25 but there is no funding with that statement, it's just words!

Carers who agree to see their young people through 6th form and on to university get a very basic rent on a "room only" basis. Imagine a young person around Christmas and birthdays living under those circumstances in a house they have come to call their home with carers they now see as family. Imagine carers who can't afford to buy presents for the young people they are helping. The feelings of the carers are often forgotten about. Feelings do not switch off when the funding does and carers are often torn and go in to financial hardship to help their youngsters.

There are many people out there raising funds for looked after children to give them something at Christmas but the truth is, they are targetting the wrong group. Fostered children are given presents by their carers at Christmas as their carers allow for this in their funding. Once a young person reaches 18 there is no more funding therefore they are the young people that need to be looked after. Christmas and birthdays are hard enough for these youngsters as these are usually the times when they are at their most vulnerable emotionally.

I have created this page for people to donate something for young people who are staying with their foster family throughout 6th form and who are going on to university. These youngsters have no one else and need to be part of a family until they are ready to leave home and stand on their own two feet. Funds raised will give a helping hand towards special occasions, such as graduations and for Christmas and birthday presents because being a part of a family on these occasions really does matter.