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.