Making a difference...One Starfish at a time

Our family started fostering back in 2005. We have been blessed to love on many babies. There has been many twists and turns throughout our journey and in December of 2010 we were called for placement of a newborn baby boy. His biological mother worked a case plan for 18 months and after 23 months she surrendered her rights and we adopted 'Sprout' in December of 2012. Our faith has been tried and tested and we are still certain that God is faithful!

June 11, 2009

I never heard anything back. It drives me crazy how I ran around and got things ready for kids who never came. I'm ok with it. I was a bit nervous because we're not geared for kids of those ages. We don't have any extra beds so we'd have to shuffle things around a bit here for it to work because of the stipulations that D*S*S puts on rooming. I was waiting to hear of I should set up the crib or if the 3 year old slept in a bed. AHHH. I'm ok. I had a busy weekend scheduled anyway. There really wouldn't have been time for 'bonding' and helping them get 'settled' in if we were running around anyway... Maybe next time... But help me out here...Answer some questions for me...

1. What questions do I ask the worker who is trying to place the kids?

I asked her if they had been in care before. She said 'no'. Not to her knowledge. They were going in for respite because their mom was having surgery and dad didn't think he could handle them alone. (???)

2. What things do you have on hand? (i.e.- special things to help the child transition)

3. Do you shop for respite? They were supposed to be coming from their home and I assume their things would have been brought with them.

Help me?!?!? What have YOUR experiences been?

4 comments:

D said...

Whenever I've done respite, the FP always brings what the child needs,except for food if the child eats table food. They bring formula, baby food & diapers for the babies.
as for things on hand..I just take the ages I have bed space for. I only have cribs,so only 2 & under or still uses a crib.
I've never heard of the kind of respite care you're talking about. Dang, do you think I could use that for my kids?

Mrs. Breum said...

yes, I'd like "respite", too- what on earth!? That is so strange.

Kathleen said...

There is a GREAT little question form that I found that gives wonderful questions to ask the worker before the child is placed in your home! I will dig it up and send it!

Lisa said...

never assume a child will come with stuff. We had an 8 mo old who was not sent with enough breathing treatments, and fostermom just told me to take him to the ER if he needed more. I DREADED sending the baby back to that woman. If I wouldn't have already had a special needs child, I would have fought sending him back. She did send clothes,diapers, and formula though, but when you have a medically needy baby, you have to send all the supplies.

If I had all the kids I was asked to take but never showed up...