TACT supports the #KeepCaringTo18 campaign, joining other organisations in the fight to ensure that every child in the care system continues to be cared for at least until the age of 18.
From today (September 9th), new laws come into effect which will ban unregulated and semi-regulated accommodation for those aged 15 or younger in England.
However, those aged 16 and 17 have been excluded from these changes and will continue to be at risk to be placed in accommodation where there is not a statutory requirement to receive day-to-day care from adults, on the basis that they are capable of managing without it.
The government plans to introduce national standards for accommodation for 16 and 17 year-olds but these standards do not include requirements to receive care.
Currently, over a third of 16 and 17 year-olds are already living in places where they do not receive any care. This figure is expected to rise with these changes to the law, as it tells local authorities that it is an acceptable practice.
Parents do not stop caring for their children when they reach 16, and children in care deserve the same continued support.
