Do Foster Carers Need a Driving Licence?

Becoming a foster carer involves plenty of school runs, contact sessions, medical appointments, clubs and last-minute meetings. It’s natural to wonder whether you must drive to do the job well. The short answer is: no, a driving licence is not a legal requirement for approval—but you must be able to meet a child’s transport needs reliably, and some agencies and local authorities will expect at least one adult in the household to drive depending on your location and the types of placements you can support.

What the rules actually say (and don’t say)

Most national guidance for fostering in England focuses on children’s needs and outcomes, rather than prescribing whether carers must drive. The Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards and statutory guidance set expectations that services (and carers) meet each child’s needs—school, health, contact and leisure—without stating that carers must hold a licence. In practice, inspectors and agencies look for your ability to provide safe, timely transport as part of that broader duty of care.

What this means day-to-day

A panel will want to see a credible transport plan: if you don’t drive, how will you manage the school run, contact across town, or evening activities? In dense urban areas with frequent buses and trains, not driving can be workable; in rural areas, it’s often much harder to meet expectations without access to a car. Many mainstream agencies acknowledge this openly in their FAQs.

When not driving is fine—and when it isn’t

You can foster without a licence if you can show that journeys will be reliable, safe and punctual. Think through the most common and time-sensitive trips: school (including mid-year moves), health appointments, statutory reviews, therapy, and family time (contact). Where public transport is frequent, step-free and predictable, it can work well; where routes are infrequent, require multiple changes, or don’t run late, agencies tend to prefer carers who can drive.

The “matching” effect

Placement decisions weigh up the child’s needs, distance to school and contact venues, and how transport will actually work. If your household doesn’t drive, you may be matched to placements that fit local travel options, or an authority might arrange transport for a time-limited period. But that isn’t guaranteed and generally isn’t intended to be long-term.

Transport responsibilities foster carers should expect

Fostering handbooks across the country spell out what carers are expected to manage: school transport (sometimes up to 45 minutes each way), health appointments, therapy sessions and activities. Agencies also expect carers to encourage friendships, clubs and normal social life—which often means evening and weekend lifts. If you do not drive, your plan still has to deliver all of that consistently.

Contact (family time) and courts

Family time is often scheduled at specific centres or supervised venues, sometimes far from home, and occasionally changes at short notice. The ability to get there reliably—and to wait or return for pick-up—matters in assessments of placement stability and the child’s welfare.

Safety and the law when you are transporting children

Whether you drive or accompany by taxi/coach/minibus, the law on child restraints and seat belts applies. In cars and vans, children must normally use a child car seat until age 12 or 135 cm (whichever comes first); after that they must use a seat belt. There are specific exceptions (for example, certain taxi or minibus situations), but the safest approach is always to use the correct restraint and never carry more passengers than seat belts.

Practical implications for carers

If you use your own vehicle, you’ll need appropriate insurance (often “business use” if required by your agency), correctly fitted child seats, and a plan for transporting multiple children safely. If you rely on taxis or lifts, ensure risk assessments and written permissions align with your service’s procedures, and that the chosen provider can supply age-appropriate restraints where the rules require them.

Costs, mileage and tax relief

Most fostering services reimburse mileage for agreed journeys (school, contact, meetings) and provide standard allowances that cover day-to-day costs. Rates vary by service, but a typical local example shows mileage paid per mile on top of the child’s weekly allowance. For tax, foster carers can use Qualifying Care Relief (QCR), a simplified scheme that often means little or no tax on fostering income up to a generous threshold. Keep basic records of journeys and any exceptional expenses.

If you don’t drive

You may claim public transport fares for agreed journeys instead of mileage—processes vary, so follow your agency’s policy and keep receipts. If the authority provides transport (for example, a taxi arranged for contact), you normally won’t claim for that journey yourself; instead, confirm the arrangement in the care plan or with your supervising social worker.

Pros and cons of driving as a foster carer

Driving isn’t a gatekeeper for approval—but it often widens the range of placements you can accept and gives you greater flexibility when plans change (which they sometimes do). If you don’t drive but live in a city with excellent transport links, your day-to-day might be perfectly manageable; in rural or semi-rural areas, not driving can severely limit matches and add stress around punctuality and late-evening returns.

Impact on specific placement types

• Under-5s: fitting and managing car seats, nursery runs and frequent health checks can make driving especially useful.
• Sibling groups: transporting two or three children to different schools or clubs is far easier if at least one adult drives.
• Emergency or short-notice placements: late-evening pickups, unplanned contact, and rapid school admissions are simpler with a car.

(Your agency will discuss these realities with you during assessment and matching.)

How to build a credible transport plan if you don’t drive

If you’re applying without a licence, show panel that your plan is practical, safe and resilient:

Map the common journeys

List the likely school routes, contact centre addresses, GP/dentist practices and therapy hubs in your area. Work out bus/train frequencies at school start/finish times and evenings. Build in buffer time for delays and a backup route if a service is cancelled.

Identify reliable backups

Backups might include a second approved adult in the household who drives, a nearby family member within your support network who can assist (with the agency’s approval), or an agreed taxi framework for specific journeys written into the placement plan. Make sure the backup doesn’t rely on luck—it should be something you can activate quickly.

Put safety first

If you use taxis or minibus services, confirm seat-belt and child-seat compliance and keep a note of providers able to supply age-appropriate restraints. If you own a car, ensure your insurance, MOT and servicing are up-to-date and that you have the correct child seats for each child’s age/height.

How agencies assess driving during Form F

During assessment, your social worker will look at your location, daily routine, work pattern, support network and contingency plans. If not driving would materially limit your ability to meet a child’s needs, they’ll discuss alternatives (for example, focusing on local placements, or ensuring a co-carer drives). Some agencies explicitly say driving isn’t essential, but most acknowledge it’s “definitely beneficial.”

Be honest about constraints

No one expects you to cover everything alone, but they will expect realistic solutions. If you work shifts or have caring responsibilities, explain how school runs and contact will still happen on time. If you’re considering learning to drive, share your timeline, but don’t rely on a promise—panel will judge what you can do today.

Urban vs rural: two realistic scenarios

City example (no licence)

Amira lives in Hounslow, two minutes from a frequent bus corridor and close to Overground and Piccadilly line stations. She can reach most schools within 25–40 minutes door-to-door and a regional contact centre in 35 minutes. Her agency accepts a non-driver plan because the local network is fast and dependable, and because her sister (who drives and has been background-checked) can step in for late pickups or emergencies.

Rural example (with licence)

Chris lives in a village on the edge of Kent. The nearest secondary school is 11 miles away, buses are hourly, and the contact centre is in a town with limited evening services. In this area, carers who drive are far easier to match and sustain. Driving isn’t “mandatory” on paper, but in reality it’s critical to meeting need.

FAQs for applicants

Is there any official rule that says “foster carers must drive”?

No. National standards focus on meeting needs rather than requiring a licence. Agencies will judge your transport capacity as part of approval and matching.

Can the local authority arrange transport for me?

Sometimes—but usually short-term or for specific purposes. You shouldn’t assume long-term taxi cover; most services expect carers to handle routine school and contact travel.

If I do drive, what costs are covered?

Mileage for agreed journeys is typically reimbursed separately from the weekly allowance; policies and rates vary by service (for example, some councils publish per-mile rates). Keep simple logs. For tax, most carers use Qualifying Care Relief.

What about car seats and seat belts?

You must follow the UK child car seat laws (up to age 12 or 135 cm) and ensure every passenger has a seat belt. There are limited exceptions (taxis, minibuses, unexpected journeys), but the safest practice is to use the correct restraint every time.

Bottom line

You don’t need a driving licence to be approved as a foster carer—but you do need a reliable, safe and realistic transport plan that meets a child’s needs every day, not just when the timetable happens to line up. In cities with excellent transport, not driving can work well; in rural areas, it can severely restrict your matching options and add pressure. If you’re unsure, speak with your local authority or an independent fostering agency about the kinds of placements you could support with your current transport—and how to strengthen your plan before panel.