Foster Care Placement Preparedness

As a state licensed foster home you will often times not know when you are going to get a call for a child placement nor will you know the age or size the child wears in clothing or shoes until you meet. The following suggestions will be helpful in preparing you for your new foster child placements before they arrive. Some of the below tips may not be effective for children with severe emotional or behavioral problems.

Keep a drawer or bins full of clean, excellent condition clothes of all sizes. You may be licensed for ages 0 - 5 only but sometimes there is a need for an emergency placement for a week or two and you may find yourself taking a child of age 8. Have a bin full of clean shoes. I like to find shoes and clothes on sale and buy them to have ready. I would be ashamed to have my foster child dressed shabbily or in old shoes so I keep bright, clean clothes only whether new or gently used. I also like to buy bulk clothes from Ebay. I have found some excellent bargains through Ebay.

Have a bin that has a brand new bottle of shampoo (one for African American hair and one for Caucasian since you do not want to use Caucasian products on AA due to their drying out effect). Have a new toothbrush, fun soaps for children or teens. You may want a separate bin for different age groups. For teen girls my bin would have Calgon and lots of girlie things in it. Have a new tube of toothpaste, floss, brush, comb and deodorant if age appropriate. Make sure you find out the child's name ahead of time and put a label with his or her name on the bin before he or she arrives. Make it personal.

Your child will come to your home with a bag of things. Unfortunately, most of the time their belongings are tossed in a trash bag. I wish Child Protective Services had nicer removing bags but at the time, trash bags are it. You may live in a smoke free home and the child's belongings may reek of smoke. The first thing you are thinking about doing is to wash every bit of it. If there is a stuffed animal or a pillow, if it is clean then consider not washing it. The smell will be familiar and comforting to the child. Regardless even if they were removed from a horrible environment and you can't imagine they would want any part of what they came from, that is your perspective and not the child's. If it is what they are familiar with then allow them to have that comfort. Your home will be new and overwhelming and although you may see it as a haven, the child may not.

Some children will refuse baths by kicking and screaming and they may desperately be in need of a bath. They may care less about the little personal bin of grooming products you lovingly put together. Something that may work is to take the child to the store and let them pick out their own products. Let them choose their own soap and bubble baths and such.

Make sure you have a baby bed in case you get a call for a newborn or small baby. Portable cribs are wonderful because they are lightweight and fold up easily for storage. They are a smaller version than a regular size crib but they look exactly like a crib. I am not talking about a Pack N Play. While they may work, I prefer my babies to be more up and off the floor than most Pack N Plays provide although some of the newer ones are higher. You will also want to have bottles, bottle scrubber and a pacifier or two. You will need crib sheets, a baby tub, baby soap and lotion. I keep every size diapers made from Preemie - size 6 on hand along with plenty of diaper wipes. While name brand wipes tend to be more expensive, they are softer. A luxury must have item is a wipe warmer. Alot of Cocaine exposed babies are very hypersensitive and a cold wipe against their skin will cause alot of crying. Don't purchase formula until you find out what kind the baby drinks. African American babies will need to have lotion on their skin often to prevent ashiness and drying out. My favorite is Aquaphor and I love the Soft and Precious products.

Bedtime is often very traumatic in getting children to sleep in their new place. You may be opposed to a TV in a child's room but it can really help you and the child get through the first few nights. A TV that only plays from a DVD or VHS player will prevent them from browsing the TV late at night. Have age appropriate movies on hand that are not scary but perhaps educational and uplifting for them. Music DVD's that are soothing are very helpful. I will usually sit in the room in a rocking chair and sing or talk to them until they are asleep. Smaller children are typically exhausted by all the commotion and the removal and will fall asleep quickly but if left alone in the room they may wail for over an hour and this isn't something that needs to happen.

Have plenty of toys for all ages. Have indoor play toys and outdoor. Have a bookshelf full of books for all ages. Keep puzzles for all ages around, colors and color books. For girls I have a tub of nail polish and a zillion hair bows and lotions to make them feel like a princess.

You will find that if you are ready at all times it will avoid the panic mode that comes on when you get a call and your not ready for that particular age of child.