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<blockquote data-quote="donna723" data-source="post: 591766" data-attributes="member: 1883"><p>Lisa, are you talking about fostering through the State? Fostering children with medical problems was something my daughter thought about doing too, after she finished her nurses training, before she was married. Several years ago I went all the way through the required training to become a foster parent for the State - 10 weeks of classes, submitted all the documentation, went through all the home studies, etc. Then at the last minute I decided not to do it. Our Dept. of Childrens Services was so inept, so bumbling and difficult to work with, I couldn't imagine actually having to deal with those people when a child was involved and living in my home! I hope it's better where you are!</p><p></p><p>The way it works here is that you are required to attend classes and undergo several home studies. You have to turn in documentation of everything - birth certificates for the entire family, marriage certificates, drivers licenses, utility bills, financial statements, recommendations from friends, documentation of everything you've ever done in your entire life! Your home is inspected, mostly for safety issues like fire extinguishers and access to exits. They do a complete background check including fingerprints, and you have to have a physical. </p><p></p><p>And they have the same requirement here, that you have to prove that you have enough income to support yourself and your own family. If they didn't do that, there would be people with a houseful of kids, skimping on things so they could live off of what the State pays for the child. Here the monthly stipend depends on the age of the child. The State pays for all medical and dental care for the child and provides a clothing allowance twice a year and a small amount for Christmas. And here at least, the monthly stipend is very small, barely enough to cover the costs of having the child in your home, school expenses, etc. No "extras" for those things that kids would like to have and many people find themselves dipping in to their own funds. The more I found out about it, the more I came to think of it as volunteer work! And they seemed to move kids from home to home on a whim which would be upsetting for both the child and the foster parent. Our system here was (and still is) BAD and has been on the news a lot. I hope yours is better there.</p><p></p><p>Personally, I think you would make a <u>WONDERFUL</u> foster parent ... if you are willing to put up with all the BS that goes with it. You are a great mom and grandma, you are smart and loving and resourceful, and you have the medical knowledge that would be invaluable in caring for children with medical issues ... all things that would make you a fantastic foster parent. It's certainly worth checking out and could be a very rewarding experience for you. Just beware that it is quite an undertaking having to deal with those people and jump through all their hoops.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="donna723, post: 591766, member: 1883"] Lisa, are you talking about fostering through the State? Fostering children with medical problems was something my daughter thought about doing too, after she finished her nurses training, before she was married. Several years ago I went all the way through the required training to become a foster parent for the State - 10 weeks of classes, submitted all the documentation, went through all the home studies, etc. Then at the last minute I decided not to do it. Our Dept. of Childrens Services was so inept, so bumbling and difficult to work with, I couldn't imagine actually having to deal with those people when a child was involved and living in my home! I hope it's better where you are! The way it works here is that you are required to attend classes and undergo several home studies. You have to turn in documentation of everything - birth certificates for the entire family, marriage certificates, drivers licenses, utility bills, financial statements, recommendations from friends, documentation of everything you've ever done in your entire life! Your home is inspected, mostly for safety issues like fire extinguishers and access to exits. They do a complete background check including fingerprints, and you have to have a physical. And they have the same requirement here, that you have to prove that you have enough income to support yourself and your own family. If they didn't do that, there would be people with a houseful of kids, skimping on things so they could live off of what the State pays for the child. Here the monthly stipend depends on the age of the child. The State pays for all medical and dental care for the child and provides a clothing allowance twice a year and a small amount for Christmas. And here at least, the monthly stipend is very small, barely enough to cover the costs of having the child in your home, school expenses, etc. No "extras" for those things that kids would like to have and many people find themselves dipping in to their own funds. The more I found out about it, the more I came to think of it as volunteer work! And they seemed to move kids from home to home on a whim which would be upsetting for both the child and the foster parent. Our system here was (and still is) BAD and has been on the news a lot. I hope yours is better there. Personally, I think you would make a [U]WONDERFUL[/U] foster parent ... if you are willing to put up with all the BS that goes with it. You are a great mom and grandma, you are smart and loving and resourceful, and you have the medical knowledge that would be invaluable in caring for children with medical issues ... all things that would make you a fantastic foster parent. It's certainly worth checking out and could be a very rewarding experience for you. Just beware that it is quite an undertaking having to deal with those people and jump through all their hoops. [/QUOTE]
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