Kevin Williams, chief executive of The Fostering Network, said that while the Staying Put initiative, which places a duty on councils to support looked-after children who want to remain with their foster carer until they are 21, is the right thing to do, as a policy it is "falling short in practice".
Data published by Ofsted in April revealed that the proportion of young people who remain in foster care after turning 18 has fallen to its lowest level since the introduction in 2014. Levels of fostered young people staying on after 18 are now lower than in 2013, prior to the introduction of the duty.
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