CHILD Action Northwest has welcomed the recent government announcement to extend foster care to the age of 21.

The children’s charity, based in Wilpshire, Blackburn, pioneered fostering in Lancashire as an alternative to residential care and was one of the first organisations to offer foster care placements after phasing out its children’s homes and the old Blackburn Orphanage.

This week, the Government announced that all young people who live in foster care in England will be able to stay with their foster carers until the age of 21 years instead of being forced to leave their foster home at the age of 18.

Andy Bennett, operations director at Child Action Northwest, said: "This is a great day for young people who live in foster families.

“Young people have told us how anxious they become as they reach the age of 18 years and are expected to move from their foster home even though many do not want to.

“This is a major step forward.”

in making sure that young people who have been 'in care' have the best chance to get a job and stand on their own two feet.”