Here is what you need to prepare for your foster baby (or foster to adopt) baby's arrival. This is the list I wish I had had to save me time and money!
General Lice Kits: GET A COUPLE OF THESE, do not skip this!! Extra Suitcases (ask friends for old ones or check out thrift stores): When a child leaves you want to be able to send them on with suitcases rather than "trash bags" so keeping some extras are handy. Lock Box for medications Rubbermaid with Lid: Keep one available to put any items the child comes with in until you have a chance to go through them together. You will want to wash any clothing, bedding, stuffed animals in very hot water. Anything not able to be washed will need to be checked very carefully for any contraband, bugs, etc. Assortment of Clothes in sizes you are expecting: Pajamas and one layered outfit are enough to get you through a day if a child comes without anything. You can always head to the store sometime the next day to get what you need (but if you're anything like me you will quickly have bins filled with cute clothes you couldn't pass up). Birth-2 Crib: Check with agency on any specific rules regarding cribs Swing: Pick one that goes both side to side and front to back in order to meet different infants preferences Baby Sling/Carrier: Face to Face baby wearing encourages attachment Car seat-convertible Pacifiers Can of formula and a couple jars of baby food Bottles Outlet Covers Baby Gate Kid Sized utensils 2-5 Convertible car seat Kid friendly foods: Regardless of your food preferences at home, it is best to have a few kid friendly items available (Mac and cheese, spaghettios) for comfort foods when a kid first comes. Bed: I move kids right from a crib to a twin sized bed with guard rail, but if you like toddler beds you may want to have one for this age range. Outlet Covers Baby Gate Comfort Item- A small stuffed animal and blanket can make a world of difference the first night. 5-10 Kid friendly foods (Mac and cheese, spaghettios) Bed Booster Seat Comfort Item- A small stuffed animal and blanket can make a world of difference the first night. 10-18 Kid friendly foods (Mac and cheese, spaghettios) Bed What other items can you think of that are MUST-HAVES?
How to Build a Hygiene Supply Basket for Children in Foster Care Fill out the form below to receive your PDF download to learn how to gather the necessities and deliver them to children in need.
How to set up a foster care bedroom. Tips and ideas from an experienced foster mom that will save you time and money.
Foster Care Adoption Organization Binder Life Book | Foster Carer Life Story Book | Printable INSTANT DOWNLOAD This design is an instant download. Nothing will be shipped to you. All our instant downloads are high resolution files. Your download will be available once payment is confirmed. You will receive a high resolution PDF file with (A4) 8.5x11 printables. You can print from your printer at home using standard (A4)8.5 x 11 inch paper. Created by a Foster Carer for other Foster Carers. Includes: 1 PDF file with 67 pages * Letter A4 (8.5 x 11) :::::: WHAT'S INCLUDED :::::: • 2x Foster Binder Front Covers • 2x Margins • 3x quote pages Meet Our Family • Our Family • Our Home Placement • Child Information • Pre-placement Questions Contact Information • Contacts Visitations/Contacts/Family Time • Visitation Log • Contact Log • Family Time Log Court Hearings • Court Hearing Review Calendar • Monthly Calendar • Important Dates Medical • Medications • Medical Summary • Immunizations • Medical Indicent Report • Medical Appointments Behavior • Incident Report • Daily Logs • Weekly Logs • Monthly Report • Behavior Chart Education • School Information • Chore Chart Respite and Childcare • Respite Care Information • Babysitter Inforamtion Finance • Clothings and Belongings Inventory • Mileage Log Receipts and Expenses Home Study Important Papers Home Study Training Legal Documents Contracts and Agreements I recommend using these printables and an A4 binder. You can place the section header pages in sheet protectors so each section is easy to find. Then you can print off as many of the different pages as you would like and fill them in accordingly. You can hole-punch section sheets and any relevant papers you receive and place them behind the appropriate section head pages. :::::: HOW IT WORKS :::::: 1. Purchase listing 2. After payment is confirmed you will be taken to the download page, and an email will be sent to you with your download link 3. Click “Download”, save the file to your computer. Print at home or at local or online printing centre. ::::: TERMS OF USE ::::: Designs from The Fostering Diaries may not be shared, redistributed or sold outside of this shop. It is for personal use only and can only be printed by a single user. Colours may shift depending on your individual screen and printer. Since this listing is delivered via instant download, no refund can be issued.
Prepare you and your house to change drastically! Top items to buy before you get your first foster child placement and gift ideas for foster parents.
When you first become a foster parent and become involved in the foster care industry, there are a number of acronyms you need to know to keep from getting confused by the alphabet soup. If you are part of my private Facebook group for foster parents, you will be seeing many of these acronyms in
A Foster Care Wishlist of items that may help you on your journey as a foster parent, and provide support to you and your kiddos.
Thank you for reading this post and your love for foster kids and foster families! Children are placed in foster care as a temporary solution when they are not able to live with their family of origin due to abuse or neglect. Children in foster care are going through a difficult life situation and needContinue Reading
Accepting a new foster placement is a big decision. This list of key questions to ask the caseworker before welcoming a foster child will guide you as...
When looking for tips for foster parents, be sure to read these ten books about foster care to set you up for success in foster care before you begin the or as you complete the home study process.
Here are 15 things you can do while you wait for your foster child. Being a foster parent will be challenging - get prepared with this list.
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I’m always looking for ways to create book lists that I think are needed by people around the world, so when I saw that May is National Foster Care Month, I knew it would be a great time to gather some titles that show kids in foster care. I tried to provide some picture books, early chapter books, middle grade novels and teen novels – mainly focused on a story where foster care is part of a character’s life rather than focusing on too many “issue” type books where the book was written specifically to address the issue. I did include a few, that I found multiple times on other reading lists and didn’t think I should ignore. Now a quick caveat, there are as many different types of foster care situations as there are people, so even though I tried to provide a diverse list, the number of books about foster care are slim. I also tried very hard to focus on foster care, rather than adoption because (although some stories end with adoption) not all stories end that way and I wanted to be able to offer some kids mirrors for what their own lives look like right now. So, if I missed something that you think should be on the list, please share it, so that others will get your recommendations as well! Murphy’s Three Homes: A Story for Children in Foster Care by Jan Levinson Gilman, illustrated by Kathy O’Malley Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care by Jennifer Wilgocki and Marcia Kahn Wright, illustrated by Alissa Imre Geis A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza The Family Book by Todd Parr Gertie’s Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson Finding the Right Spot: When Kids Can’t Live with Their Parents by Janice Levy, illustrated by Whitney Martin Summer of the Gypsy Months by Sara Pennypacker The Wild Robot by Peter Brown The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Pictures of Hollis Woods Patricia Reilly Giff Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt Pax by Sara Pennypacker All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt Waiting to Forget by Sheila Kelly Welch Free Verse by Sarah Dooley Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson Dear Wonderful You, Letters to Adopted & Fostered Youth edited by Diane René Christian and Mei-Mei Akwai Ellerman
Are you nervous about your home study to become a foster parent? Review this list of Foster Care Home Study Questions to know what to expect and find other Tips for Foster Parents.
In this heartfelt story, Foster meets new friends and a kind foster mom who help him navigate the fears and feelings associated with going into foster care.
Are you looking considering foster care but don't know where to begin? Find a wealth of Tips for Foster Parents including what to know when preparing your home for foster care here.
When looking for tips for foster parents, be sure to read these ten books about foster care to set you up for success in foster care before you begin the or as you complete the home study process.
Providing a foster care comfort kit can be an easy first win when welcoming a foster child into your home. See what to put in a welcome kit and find other tips for foster parents here.
Here are 15 things you can do while you wait for your foster child. Being a foster parent will be challenging - get prepared with this list.
The one thing that is certain about foster care, is there is a TON of paperwork. Having an organized foster care binder will make your life so much easier. There can be a lot of transition in your home as a foster parent. Just when you are getting used to one child, they may leave and you have another placed in your home. The social workers, doctors, visitation, and meetings are a lot to keep up with, so having a foster care binder where you can keep everything organized and easily available is so key!
