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A 2024 survey of 3,000 foster carers by the leading charity the Fostering Network revealed that three-quarters were financially worse off in a post-18 foster care arrangement. The effect is that many foster carers who want to offer Staying Put support to young people in their care reluctantly have to decide that they are unable to do so. To cover the cost of caring for children aged up to 17, foster carers receive a payment set by the national minimum allowance and a fee to cover their skills and expertise. However, there is no such allowance for post-18 Staying Put arrangements, and the survey that I mentioned found that the average foster care allowance decreased by around one-third when children turn 18. The issue is further complicated by the fact that local authorities offer different support, financially and otherwise, which, in effect, makes support for young people all too often a postcode lottery.