At what point do you stop taking responsibility for the children?

We develop an individual care plan for every child that we work with. This sets out a path that will lead to each child either living with a family or in a family-type environment or living independently.The timescale will vary according to the individual needs of each child It can occasionally mean addressing specific needs beyond the age of 18. We take on direct responsibility for children for a limited time.  In de-institutionalisation projects, this is for the transition phase only – likely to be around 18 months at most.  Prior to the transition, children are the responsibility of the institution. Once they have been successfully placed in a family or family-type environment, they become the responsibility of their new family or the local authority.