any foster parents out there???

**MOMMYDEAREST** · 07-17-2006, 04:47 PM

hello. my dh & i are in the process of getting our foster parents licenses. we should be fully licensed in about 2-3 weeks. we are very excited but kinda nervous also. we will be having our home visit this wednesday (july 19th) with the case worker. is there any advice or any information you could share with me....negative or postitive i would like to hear both...thanks!!!

**JustJoy** · 07-17-2006, 05:09 PM

My DH and I are licensed foster parents. Feel free to ask me anything you like. The home visits weren't bad at all. We actually had to have 4 here in IL. One with DH and I together, one with each of us alone with the social worker, and then another one with us together again.

**MOMMYDEAREST** · 07-17-2006, 05:12 PM

i'm pretty nervous about the home visit. i've been cleaning alot & trying to get very organized. we have 4 kids of our own & i think this will be a great learning experience for us & the kids. luckily, we only have to have 1 home visit. we both just got a tb test & physicals. we just did our criminal history check & our drug screen. so we are good to go.........just a little nervous. have your experiences been pretty good? feel free to "pm" me if you would like!! thanks, angie

**JustJoy** · 07-17-2006, 05:45 PM

I was extremely nervous before our first visit, but there was no need to be. Our social worker put us at ease right away. You'll do just fine

**MOMMYDEAREST** · 07-18-2006, 12:22 AM

thanks justjoy..........it really means alot to hear from another foster mom. is there maybe a website that states the basic stuff that i need to have or not have or any other helpful info. i'm just thinking maybe i can pick up some of that stuff before the visit, so she don't have to come back for a follow-up.

**JustJoy** · 07-18-2006, 05:05 PM

You really don't need anything right now. Just try and relax...

**Jerseygirl** · 07-19-2006, 01:39 PM

We are also--my advice, keep organized, best thing I did was have a 3 ring binder with a section for each child. Have a pencil case for medical insurance card then page protectors for visit schedules, list every dr and therapy appointment the children go on, if scripts were given etc. This has been so helpful for us for licensing, when caseworkers call with questions. We usually have 2-4 kids under 5 years. We have been licenced for over 4 years and have had 16 kids. Anything you need to know, ask. CJ has been a foster mom forever, she's a great resource.

**MOMMYDEAREST** · 07-19-2006, 01:42 PM

thanks jersey girl.........glad to know i'm not alone!!

**mommy_mouse** · 07-26-2006, 10:55 AM

Hi all. I too am in the process of getting liscensed. We are scheduled for our home study on the 10th of Aug. To top it off we are moving into our new home in two days!! (no pressure there!!) We are pursuing an adoption of a 13 year old girl from another state. I'm going to have the house as put together as possible for the study but I'm sure I'll still be unpacking. Our social worker knows that we are moving though and has assured me I have nothing to worry about in that department.

**Miss Kitty** · 07-29-2006, 07:30 PM

Former Foster parent here. We had a wonderful experience in FL. Fostered for about 3 years there.
Moved to IL. It was a nightmare. We had one sibling group for about 9 months, changed SW 3 times, no one knew anything, couldn't get questions answered, medical releases signed. Nightmare! The middle child had tons of problems, after 3 months of trying to be nice I had to threaten the agency to get the child into therapy.
I truly hope your experience is as wonderful as ours was in FL. We would love to do it again but never in this state!

**Nantahala** · 07-29-2006, 07:41 PM

DH and I are not now but we plan to seek licensing as soon as we establish residency in NC. I can foster through ICWA so I feel it's pretty important for me to do so.

**Tonya** · 08-07-2006, 05:48 PM

I was a foster parent for over 5 years. We had 29 kids and ended up adopting four of them!!

We're one of the few who can say that they agree with where every kid ended up and we never had an allegation!!!

**Miss Kitty** · 08-07-2006, 10:49 PM

Wow, Tonya, that is REALLY saying something. You must have terrific staff to work with.

**Daydream Believer** · 08-13-2006, 01:33 AM

We are foster parents also. Currently have 8 and 10 year old sisters in our home. We also do respite care for 2 girls that had been in our foster home (one is 3 yrs. old and had been with us for almost 1 year. The other is 2 1/2 years old - she was with us for 15 months and had hoped to adopt her). We also do respite care 2 wknds a month for 2 more girls - ages 2 and 5.

So, six girls under the age of 10......but four of the six are only here for 5-6 days per month.

Our biological children are 18 yr. and almost 21 yr. old sons......so needless to say, we LOVE having the girls now!!!