Transporting Children
Standards and Regulations
Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards
Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care:
- Standard 2 - Understand your role as a foster carer.
- Standard 4 - Know how to communicate effectively.
- Standard 5 - Understand the development of children and young people.
- Standard 6 - Keep children and young people safe from harm.
Related guidance
You must take responsibility as the owner or driver of a vehicle, that the correct licence, insurance (which covers fostered children), tax and MOT certificates are in place and valid. An annual check of foster carers' certificates will be made during the foster carer annual review process to validate these documents. You should ensure your car is mechanically sound and that your drive safely and in accordance with the Highway Code and legal limits.
Any endorsements that are issued to you (such as being banned from driving, receiving points or medical limitations on your licence) should be communicated to the supervising social worker without delay and must be notified to the insurance company.
A first aid kit and fire extinguisher must always be carried in the vehicle.
Any accidents when transporting fostered children should be communicated as soon as possible and a written report provided to your supervising social worker as you would your insurance company.
Where medical treatment has been necessary this should be communicated immediately (or as soon after the accident when it is practical to do so) to the supervising social worker.
You may be required to take a fostered child to meetings/visits to see professionals or family members. These circumstances can lead to children becoming upset, and caution should be applied where a journey in the car is being made when this occurs. You may need to allow time to help the child calm by offering an alternative activity if possible before settling in the car.
If a journey is due to be made and the child is very upset or where behaviour is unsettled a risk assessment by the driver will determine whether or not the journey should go ahead.
If car journeys are of particular concern and an on-going issue this should be raised with your supervising social worker and a risk assessment undertaken and discussed with all involved in the child's care. It may be that a second adult may be needed to support the child.
Safety at all times is a priority, and it is ok to decline transporting a child who is upset and distressed.
Young children, especially those below the age of 12 years old should not be seated in the front passenger seat as they are the most at risk when the front airbag deploys in a crash.
The law requires all children travelling in cars to use properly fitted purpose made child car seats or booster seats (see GOV.UK) until they are either 135cm in height or the age of 12 (which ever they reach first). After this they must use an adult seat belt.
RoSPA provides all of the most up to date information and advice about buying, fitting and use of car seats:
Additional advice and information are available at: Department for Transport: 'Seat belts and child restraints'.
Carers should ensure they are familiar with guidance on when children can travel without a car seat, the law, and taxis etc See Child car seats: the law.
Disabled children may need specially adapted car seats and restraints: these should be used at all times. Each child's needs should be looked at individually. This should be recorded in the children's placement plan. Carers should know how to use this equipment and should keep it in good working order following the manufacturing guidance around this and any professional servicing.
Children who use a wheelchair may need to be in a specially adapted vehicle with a4-point strap system in place to secure the wheelchair.
Carers may have a specialist adapted vehicle provided by the Motability scheme to meet their child's transport needs. For this to be agreed the child needs to be on the mobility rate under DLA, or Post 16 Personal Independence Payment; any Motability car needs to be agreed by the children’s social worker and be used for the purpose of transporting the disabled child or young person. Carers should note that any Motability vehicle will move with the child if they leave your care.
It is the driver's legal responsibility to ensure that the child is correctly restrained.
When children and young people are present in a private vehicle, no smoking is permitted.
Last Updated: October 31, 2022
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