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I am turning 18 and live in a group home or foster family – what happens next?

You live in a children's home, a residential group, supervised housing or a foster family and are turning 18 or are already older: how to apply for and extend support for young adults, plan the transition, secure your money, your health insurance and a place of your own, and who helps you if you have a dispute with the Jugendamt (youth welfare office).

The heart of the matter

Support does not end automatically at 18. Young adults can get support from the Jugendamt for as long as they still need help on the way to an independent life. As a rule this lasts until 21, and in justified individual cases longer, up to 27 at most (§ 41 SGB VIII).
From 18, you decide for yourself. You now make the application yourself, and your voice counts in the support plan meeting (Hilfeplangespräch). Say clearly what you still need, and ask for a copy of the support plan.
Ended does not mean forever. If the support has ended, you can apply for it again if you need help again. After it ends, aftercare may also be possible (§ 41a SGB VIII).
Your own money is yours. Since 1 January 2023, young people in child and youth welfare no longer have to hand over any of their wages or training allowance. However, child benefit (Kindergeld) can still be taken into account.
A no can be challenged. You can usually challenge a refusal or termination within 1 month by objection (Widerspruch) or court action, depending on the notice of legal remedies. Ombuds offices advise you independently and free of charge.

How the roadmap works. Answer the questions. Your roadmap is built from them. It shows how to secure the support from the Jugendamt, what to sort out during the transition, which deadlines are running and who can help you. Important: submit applications as early as possible and in writing, ideally several months before your 18th birthday or before the planned end of the support. This roadmap is general information and does not replace legal advice.

Your answers are not stored or transmitted; they only appear in your browser's address bar. Anyone who shares the link also shares the answers. Legal position as of November 2026: SGB VIII (§§ 5, 9a, 18 Abs. 4, 36, 36b, 39, 40, 41, 41a, 61 ff., 92 to 94 as amended by the Act Abolishing the Cost Contribution (Gesetz zur Abschaffung der Kostenheranziehung) of 21 December 2022, in force since 1 January 2023), SGB X (§§ 13, 25, 37, 83), VwGO (§§ 58, 70, 74, 188), SGB II as amended since 1 July 2026 (basic income support, Grundsicherungsgeld, formerly Bürgergeld; §§ 7, 22 including Abs. 5 and 6, 24, 37), SGB III (§§ 56, 60), BAföG (§§ 11, 15, 36), EStG (§§ 32, 70, 74), BKGG (§ 1 Abs. 2), SGB VI (§§ 48, 99), SGB V (§§ 5, 10, 188), BGB (§§ 1601, 1610, 1613), ZKG (§ 31).

Your situation

Your roadmap

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As of November 2026. The roadmap arranges general information according to your answers. It does not review an individual case, does not replace legal advice and does not assess your dismissal or any deadline as valid, met or missed. Whether an entitlement exists is decided by the responsible office; deadlines and amounts change often – check important details with an advice centre.

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On a decision, deadline, application or responsibility. You get an answer with the matching page, the responsible office and the next step, usually within two working days. No legal advice in individual cases, no sharing of your data.