Question about foster care and kid gear

[Anonymous]

Extra time off from work- That is one part of "gear" they don't ever tell you about. You will need to be able to take off to shuttle kids to doctor, therapist and other appointments and possibly the school they were in prior to them coming to you. The Social Workers will help with transportation but you have to be ready that it is not just about the space in your home it is the space in your life!

[Anonymous]

Don't forget time off from work to transport the kids to supervised visits with their birthparents weekly, or twice weekly, or however often the judge mandates it. Our foster kids have also had so many doctor and therapy appointments. It is a huge part of our week. They are also not great sleepers in general at night or nap time ( earlier trauma and neglect can do that). So our nights are spent soothing and comforting. It is 24/7.

And yes, our stipend is exactly $15/day for food, clothing, expenses per child. Our State provides nothing to us. But the little ones get WIC, so that helps a bit with formula and milk, etc. We have always spent more than we were reimbursed for by the State. Always. That was just part of it, and we knew that going in. Kids who have NOTHING need alot of basics. They also need swim lessons, and trips to the library, and birthday parties, etc. Many have been treated in a second hand way in their lives, but when they are in our family, they are first.

Foster parenting is the best thing we have ever done. Hands down.

Your lives will change if you do this, but you will be changing lives. It has been soooo incredible for us. The "realness" of life has come to us, over and over.

Yesterday, I went to pick up one of my foster kids, and he just ran toward me with such a look of love and hugged my legs tightly once he crashed into me! Those relationships are irreplaceable for me. My life has been so enriched. Even with the "tough" kids.

(Dealing with the foster agencies and social workers and paperwork is a royal pain, but the KIDS are worth it.)

Please consider doing this. Please call and just go to the training and check it out. Please look into foster parenting, if you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just remember things expire, go outdated and become recalled so holding onto a carseat for a long time is a bad idea as it will most likely be expired.

Carseats last about 6 years, that can give you a fair amount of use. As long as you are mindful of the expiration, its not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget time off from work to transport the kids to supervised visits with their birthparents weekly, or twice weekly, or however often the judge mandates it. Our foster kids have also had so many doctor and therapy appointments. It is a huge part of our week. They are also not great sleepers in general at night or nap time ( earlier trauma and neglect can do that). So our nights are spent soothing and comforting. It is 24/7.

And yes, our stipend is exactly $15/day for food, clothing, expenses per child. Our State provides nothing to us. But the little ones get WIC, so that helps a bit with formula and milk, etc. We have always spent more than we were reimbursed for by the State. Always. That was just part of it, and we knew that going in. Kids who have NOTHING need alot of basics. They also need swim lessons, and trips to the library, and birthday parties, etc. Many have been treated in a second hand way in their lives, but when they are in our family, they are first.

Foster parenting is the best thing we have ever done. Hands down.

Your lives will change if you do this, but you will be changing lives. It has been soooo incredible for us. The "realness" of life has come to us, over and over.

Yesterday, I went to pick up one of my foster kids, and he just ran toward me with such a look of love and hugged my legs tightly once he crashed into me! Those relationships are irreplaceable for me. My life has been so enriched. Even with the "tough" kids.

(Dealing with the foster agencies and social workers and paperwork is a royal pain, but the KIDS are worth it.)

Please consider doing this. Please call and just go to the training and check it out. Please look into foster parenting, if you can.

OP here. Thank you for this. I realize that when the time comes, we'll have a lot to learn to be good foster parents, but I think we have the basics in place--we love being parents (including the tough parts), and we can offer love, stability, and consistency to children who haven't had nearly enough of any of those things. My husband is a a SAHD who will probably go back to work part-time within the next several years, and my job--while full-time--offers a good amount of flexibility. We know that fostering is going to require spending more than the stipend, so we need to be in a better place financially before making the commitment. Your post confirms that, of course, it will be a huge challenge, but I know it'll be worth it. Thanks gain.