Foster Parent information.... (infants, parents, children, safety)

[irishmom]

Can anyone who is currently a foster parent answer a few questions for me please. I have looked into foster parenting and have found that it's very difficult to do this when you have other children. A lot of the children in the system (and this could just be around here, or within the agencies I've inquired with) need to be the only or the youngest child in the house. This doesn't leave many children available to us because our youngest is 5 and there aren't that many kids younger than that available (again this may be just the agency we were looking at). So how do you go about doing this and finding children that will fit in with your own children? I have always wanted to do this, because I think I would be good at it and I think I could really help some kids. But how do you do it and protect your own kids at the same time? Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by irishmom

Can anyone who is currently a foster parent answer a few questions for me please. I have looked into foster parenting and have found that it's very difficult to do this when you have other children. A lot of the children in the system (and this could just be around here, or within the agencies I've inquired with) need to be the only or the youngest child in the house. This doesn't leave many children available to us because our youngest is 5 and there aren't that many kids younger than that available (again this may be just the agency we were looking at). So how do you go about doing this and finding children that will fit in with your own children? I have always wanted to do this, because I think I would be good at it and I think I could really help some kids. But how do you do it and protect your own kids at the same time? Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

We are not foster parents, but the following site might get you to the person(s) that can answer your concerns: http://www.fostercares.org/ (broken link)

[saralee]

When an agency indicates a child needs to be the only or the youngest in the house, it's for a good reason. Often times there are issues of "safety" that need to be considered. And when safety isn't the issue, this is the agency's way of acknolwedging that the child in question is likely to be all-consuming due to intense special needs.

And because your child is only 5, I would either wait to foster until that child is older, perhaps 10-12. Or, only open your children to younger than your biological child.

Younger children are typically an option if you are open to a sibling group or if your agency has a foster-adoption program. Have you considered either of these? Or even a private agency that places infants who already have an identified adoptive home but the agency needs a family to care for the child during the state's "waiting perioid"?

Good luck!

Sincerely,

Sara

[brokencrayola]

We are no longer foster parents but were for 2 years. They do like many of the children to either be the youngest or the only child. They do not want to disrupt the age order of the children you already have. You can put stipulations on your foster parent license. You can ask, lets say, to only be considered for children under 5.

[june 7th]

I would put in a call to DCF...I know where I live, they are dying to find foster parents/homes, as there are just never enough. But I would imagine your local agency of DCF would know the answer in a heartbeat.

[bklynwoman]

Please see the site I have developed for foster parents. It might help you out with your questions. Foster Parents Community and Online Training I have been fostering in NJ for 11 years now.