Fostering agency and Local Authority won’t accommodate one journey via taxi

[Fostering2025]

Hey everyone,

me and my partner have recently been accepted as foster parents. We’re with an agency who all along have said they have foster parents who work part time and even full time on their books.

As soon as we were approved we were sent two referrals of children from a nearby town, which we expressed interest in. However one evening my partner works until 5 and I’m working in London that day. That’s the only day he couldn’t pick them up but would be home in time for them (as he could drive straight home instead of driving 30 mins to pick them up). So we asked if we could put them in an after school club or arrange contact at that time and then have a taxi take them home as I’ve heard this is something they can assist with from both a friend who is a teacher and another who is a social worker.

However both the fostering agency and local authority were appalled by the idea of the child coming home in a taxi and said it would make them feel different from other children. We explained it wouldn’t be forever as me and my partner want to do the fostering full time eventually but just for now to give my partner time to become accustomed to fostering and make sure the child is happy with us.

I just want to check is this really the worst thing to ask for? We’ve been through the entire process of being approved, the room is ready and we’re so excited. My partner left his full time career to do fostering (and has a part time retail job to keep money coming in). We haven’t had a referral since and it’s been 2 months. Is this really that much to ask?

Would like to hear your experiences of being foster parents and working.

That all sounds like you have a rose tinted view of fostering. An 11 year old in foster care is likely to have experienced significant trauma and uncertainty, for a significant period of time. The most basic understanding of trauma would tell you children need consistency, safety and predictability especially just after a move to a new foster home.

It’s unrealistic to expect foster carers to be able to work outside of care, because the needs of the children are such that they need the carer to be available. A taxi from school separates the child out even more than they already are different, they may not tolerate after school care, or manage in a car with a stranger. It’s nothing like having a birth child and you can’t rely on the usual supports that parents use, like childcare or clubs.

I’m surprised you got through the training without understanding how and why children in care have particular needs from their carers.

Op I do think you need to learn more about fostering, and the fostering board on here that was mentioned above is a good way of learning about peoples experiences as foster carers. I do think you need to consider your support network, as others have said if you had your own children you would be finding ways to manage school pick ups without expecting your child to come home in a taxi, so you would need to think the same for any potential foster child rather than thinking about what the social worker will offer.

However if you still want to try it, you may want to consider speaking to your local authority.
Most authorities start their foster carers off with short term foster placements where there is a definite end date, eg for children who are already settled in foster care and who need somewhere to stay because their carer is away and can't take the child with them, or is unwell, or for a child who has additional needs and benefits from respite care. The LAs do this in part to see how well you can adapt to fostering, and it could give you the opportunity to see if it really is for you, before you take on a child full time. Your local authority would be much more likely to need homes for children who are in school in your area.

Caveat would be - be careful of being asked for an emergency placement, as these always start off 'for a couple of days' but if the child can't go home and no alternative home is found it is inevitably longer.

I'd still do your research first, just that if you do want to foster for the right reasons, and you're willing to reflect on the advice in here, it's worth exploring.

If fostering isn't for you there are options of mentoring and being an independent visitor etc that might appeal to you. Unpaid but very fulfilling.

“To give my partner time to become accustomed to fostering “

I don’t think either of you are fit to foster just from that statement alone.

Talk to your SSW OP. Not sure what becoming accustomed means in terms of your partner. Perhaps you need to unpick this and talk through the realities of the practicalities of having children join your family. Maybe provide respite for other fostering families for periods( I am glad to read some authorities ban taxis but it is no means every authority )

OP you said you’d been approved? Do you mean you’ve been to panel? You got through the Form F process? You don’t sound like you were grilled and prodded and had all the implications of caring for traumatised children and the importance of a good support network and the financial considerations and practical problems explained to you at all. Which surprises me if you say you’ve done Form F and been to panel?

Well I wouldn’t do it to my child. Can a relative not assist, like relatives do with family children?

Congratulations on choosing and passing to become foster carers. Im a foster carer with a LA and we are expected that 1 carer is always available. I packed in work. I think your agency have made it sound like it's 'doable ' but from our personal experience its not.
Over the years I've had to drive 50 mins to their school for drop off, 50 mins back home, 50 mins to go and collect and 50 mins back to ours. Also had to take one child to school and pick up 9-11.30 and then home due to schooling issues, for weeks. Ive had calls at all time from both primary and secondary school, child may have had extreme behaviour/absconded. Ive spent hours driving round, liaising with police etc for very vulnerable children. There's no way I could do this and work.
Children being transported by taxi doesn't sit well. Some have trauma/etreme fear with strangers in cars (from being removed auddenly and taken away in astrange car), if they've been abused etc.
I know it doesn't seem a big ask to us, but ut is for them. I know they're desperate for carers but they've explained its not appropriate and there are reasons for that. X

I wouldn’t put my own children in a taxi, therefore no I don’t think it’s appropriate for foster children to be either.