The UK government has published a Care Leaver Homelessness Reduction Action Plan, launched at the start of Care Leavers Month 2026, stating that no young person should become homeless when they leave care. The Department for Education announced the plan on 5 November 2026, setting out new duties for councils in England.

Under the rules, local authorities are required to publish plans for care leavers' accommodation needs, work with housing partners and set out support for those at risk of homelessness in their local offer. Certain care leavers under 25 can no longer be found intentionally homeless. The plan also encourages councils to publish local targets and commits targeted advice to higher-risk areas, overseen by youth homelessness advisers.

The government says the number of care leavers aged 18 to 24 in England has risen to 86,890, up almost 10% in two years, and that they remain over-represented in the homelessness system. The plan aims to halve the proportion of care-experienced people who are homeless, and includes a new £3m Test, Learn, Grow programme on youth homelessness prevention. It builds on the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, and from 2029 Staying Close is due to become a national duty on councils for care leavers up to 25.