I am thinking about starting to offer foster care??

Question

I am going to retire from teaching and will have the time and resources. If you have done this, can you share the best and worst from your experiences please. I am not interested in adoption, just helping children with needs. I realize there is training involved and that you do get a stipend to put toward food and clothing. I have read that most foster parents add to that amount. My real concerns revolve around safety, I guess, My own children are old enough this. Are you permitted to specify ages for the children you accept? What else should I be aware of? Thanks

Answer 1

Great awnser above me! My hubby and I are foster parents & have been licensed for 4 years now. We requested the ages 0-2. So, yes you can choose what age you want. Some advise would be to make a list of questions and keep them by your phone. You never know when your phone might ring when your a foster parent! My list consists of these questions..... age? sex? race? siblings? reason for placement ( sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect ?) health issues & health history? Having a list ready helps you decide if the child would be a good fit for your home. Always remember you don't have to take a child when you get the call, it's always your right to say no! You are correct about the stipend. The amount depends on your county, but is usually around $400- $450 a month per child. Older children get a little bit more, but have more expensive needs! I usually break even each month, with the cost of formula, baby food diapers, clothes ect..,and some months I do pay out of pocket for the kids, but they are worth it!
Our experence with foster care has been AMAZING!!! We got a call for a 5 day old baby & got to adopt him 14 months later. During that time we did respite care also. Respite is when you take care of another foster parents child while they are out of state for vacation, family emergency ect... You get paid daily for as long as you have the child. It's an easy way to be a foster parent because the child is only in your home for a week or 2. You get to meet many children & help them!
Anyways, we did take another child into our home after we adopted our first. We got a call for a 1 month old preemie, and he is currently 9 months!! It's still too soon to know what will happen with this case, but we are VERY attached to this baby & pray we get the chance to adopt him also! Best wishes & E-mail me with any questions you have - I'm happy to help!

Answer 2

Well..... I am a foster/adoptive mom. The process of getting forster children can be long. In my state, I had to have local and FBI criminal background checks done. The FBI check took six weeks to return. I also had to have a physical and TB tests taken. During that time, I completed several hours of training. They discuss issues the children may have like hoarding, bed wetting, and lying. My classes also offered possible ways to deal with the situations. The agency that you foster through will come to your home to do home preps. They will look at the space in your home and ask tons of questions. They want to know about your spouse/significant other, your chidren, your grandchildren, your relationships with family and friends, your support basis, and other things. They will also want to know your views on child rearing and your approaches to disapline. They will make sure that your home is safe for kids. You do have a say in the ages and genders of the children that you foster. I have a sibling set of girls.... 8 and 2. They have been such a joy in my home and family. With older foster children, it is very important that you are patient with them because you never know how much they have been exposed to. They may have seen more than you will ever know. And please do not take for granted that thy know any trivial thing because of their age. Some of them have never seen certain foods or been certain places. It is amazing what we sometimes take for granted. Once they trust you, they will open up. My girls have been great! Best wishes.

Answer 3

A friend of mine only takes newborns-3 year-olds, so yes, you can specify the age. I, myself, would have a hard time giving an infant back. My mom's cousin and his wife took in teens. They were strict with them, which you have to be, and all but one of those kids they took in graduated from high school and some even went to major universities.