Leaving foster care can feel overwhelming. At 16 or 18, many young people in the care system face uncertainty about where they’ll live and how they’ll manage. Supported Lodgings offers a safe, supportive home where they can learn independence without being left alone.
Why Supported Lodgings Matter
When foster placements end, accommodation becomes the biggest challenge. Without a plan, some young people risk homelessness, exploitation, or environments like hostels and homeless shelters; often not meeting the young person’s individual needs. These situations can derail education, employment, and mental health.
What Is Supported Lodgings?
Supported Lodgings is different from fostering. It’s designed for older teens who don’t need full-time parenting but still benefit from guidance. Hosts provide a room and a supportive home environment while young people learn essential life skills like budgeting and cooking.
This stability means they can continue with education or look for employment without having to make urgent decisions due to lack of a safe place to live. Supported Lodgings gives them the breathing space to plan for their future.
Real Impact
We’ve seen incredible outcomes. One care leaver, Carys, shared how feeling included and understood changed her life. She said:
“It always helped when they empathised with me and understood how I felt.”
Today, Carys is thriving and even fostering herself. Supported Lodgings can offer that same sense of belonging and stability for young people who are ready for independence.
Who Can Be a Host?
If you have a spare room and want to make a difference, you could become a Supported Lodgings host. Ideal hosts are empathetic, flexible, and willing to offer guidance without micromanaging. You don’t need to give up your lifestyle, this is about support, not full-time care.
Support and Payments
Hosts receive ongoing support from Monmouthshire’s fostering team and a weekly payment (typically £160). Young people contribute through housing benefit or Universal.
Get InvolvedWe urgently need more Supported Lodgings hosts in Monmouthshire. The process to become a host is shorter and less involved than becoming a foster carer, making it an accessible way to make a real difference.
If you’d like to learn more, join us at our upcoming events or visit Foster Wales Monmouthshire. Together, we can ensure no young person faces adulthood alone.
Open your heart, open your home.
Contact us today to start your journey. If you live elsewhere in Wales, visit the Foster Wales website, where you can find all the necessary information about fostering and contact details for your local authority fostering service.
