Foster Parenting

[Boyd]

Quote:
Sad but true. We do it. Almost like a delousing you'd get a prison

 

[wanda047]

I agree. You see it more times than not. Lice is a big problem with a lot of these kids. Some of the most severe cases of neglect I've seen... they have more than just lice. I had one little girl that had numerous critters living in her hair... just not sure what they were! Her long curly hair had to be cut very short to help in the elimination. It was sad but necessary.

They will also bring in roaches in their belongings! Yikes! It's horrible to open their little bags of clothing and have huge roaches climb out!

Of course.. then you have those which show up in the middle of the night with nothing! I had a baby show up one night in nothing more than a towel! Before I got "more prepared for anything"... I've had to make trips to Wal-Mart in the wees hours of the morning for diapers, bottles, formula, and clothes. You just do what you have to do for these little ones. Now I keep large plastic totes with clothing for all sizes and genders.

 

[Boyd]

I don't let my kids throw away clothes..... NEVER!

I horse trade with other foster parents for stuff I need. I even heard of another gal who only does teen girls and she kept all the prom and homecoming dresses for the girls she's raised and now hardly has to buy any! Whew!

 

[farmerlor]

Oh yeah, very first thing you do is strip them and wash every single piece of clothing (if they have any) in the washer to make sure you don't get roaches. No kidding. Even now, after not fostering for a few years, nothing comes into my house without getting washed first.
I kept storage boxes full of clothes marked by size, sex and season (6 month old, girl, winter.....) so that if I got a baby in the middle of the night I could just grab the right box and some blankets and be ready to go. My daughter Rissa came to me naked except for a cast on her leg. Annie and DJ both came straight from the hospital but I took clothes and blankies with me when I went to pick them up.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:

I don't do babies as a general rule..... mainly because you get too attached. I've got a gal here who just turned 18 with a 16 month old baby girl. I got to become a grandpa at 30

and tell you what, I am having the time of my life!

 

[miss_thenorth]

Ok --now you guys are scaaring me!! The CAS lady is coming over today for me and hubs to sign releases. I'm not worried at all about behaviour problems, but cockroaches and lice!?!?!??! EWWWWW!

What all do I need to know about to be prepared--that is--if my home passes the fire inspection (small windows in the basement bedrooms)

The CAS worker seems to think it still might be allright, but we are going to do the fire inspection before we do anything else.

Tell me all I need to know--good and bad.

 

[wanda047]

You're in Canada? I have no idea what their rules are. And of course, here in the States, every State's regulations are different. My advice, take a deep breathe and get the inspection over with. If there is anything that needs changed, they will let you know. Then you'll have to decide whether or not you're willing to make the changes they want you to make to your home/yard. We didn't have many, but a few.

For example, the railing on my deck was too far apart and we had to have the railing redone. My neighbors (who were foster parents) had to put a locked fence around their backyard pond. This pond was huge and it cost them a lot of money to do it... but they did.

Good luck and don't let the lice/roach problem scare ya. You can get roaches from the grocery store!

 

[Boyd]

If something doesn't pass muster on your home inspection, they will tell you so you can fix it. They are willing to work with parents. They are government employees that want to help as many kids as they can. They have soooooooooooooooooooo many cases and not enough homes that getting your license is the easiest part of the process if you can put up with the waiting.

Let us know how it goes!!!

 

[horselover58]

Thats good to know. I think thats why a lot of people don't try to foster or adopt. They think they are not qualified or their home will not qualify, etc., Maybe they need to do a Nationwide commercial narrating what you have to be and have (lots of love, a roof, etc.,) and not what you think you must have. I think that would bring a lot more people into the circle. I guess I am going just start all over here in Kentucky with the classes, etc., because Georgia supposedly didn't give me a FULL homestudy etc., We are probably going to make our home out here, maybe sell our house in Georgia or sell it to my daughter. Wish me luck!

 

[Boyd]

I was worried sick about my house, and the level of cleanliness. I was practically nail biting and wetting myself and the gal in charge of licensing said wow, your house is in great shape......... whewwwwwwwww. And they usually don't worry about it being a little jumbled, as long as there isn't plates of crusted food molding everywhere.... It really is pretty easy.

Around my computer desk....... well stacks and stacks and stacks of stuff. I spend a LOT of my waking hours in front of my computer, ya think I'd be better but I'm not