What are the essentials?

First, welcome to the forums. Like you said, this is a great place to come to for advice and support. If you are certified for infants and toddlers you will need some of the followings items: infant nail clippers baby body wash/shampoo stage one toothbrush(es) diapers - generally recommend size 2 & 4 if using disposables (another great option is a diaper service) baby brush/comb set 2 sheets for each crib some changing pads (keeps those messy changes off the furniture) a couple 4 oz bottles a couple sippy cups There are other items, but this will get you started.

i hate to say it....but a lice kit is a necessity. i will admit i have pediculophobia (fear of lice).....many kids in our county come into care with lice. they are not cleaned up before they are taken to the foster parents. when i thought about this, i really didn't want a child with lice sitting in my living room while someone ran to the store to buy this kit. i wanted to attack it the second they walked in. heartless? yes. but if you have ever dealt with lice in your home you would think differently. lol. plus the kids will thank you when they are not longer itching the heck out of their scalp. :) you better believe i inspected my children's hair immediately (even babies and toddlers can have lice).....and discretely at first. and i can thankfully say the kit expired before i ever had to use it. but it made me feel better to know i had it.

Also a few changes of different size clothes (sweats or zip up jammies). As of yet none of the 5 babies I have fostered came with anything and all of them wore a different size. Sw will get you a clothing voucher eventuallt but these babies need something to wear the first few days.

Might be a good idea to start shopping for a high chair.

Nightlights Bath toys 0-2 onesies and pj's 2-3yr olds Sweats and PJ's in varying sizes (can be as simple as white tees and boxer shorts) Books Kiddie music and videos Scrapbooks for life books (required here but nice anywhere) Small blankets (nice cover for little ones and good "loveys" for the older ones) Check with local WIC office to see which formula kiddos will be placed on (some areas do Similac and others Enfamil) so that you can get a can to have on hand before signing kids up for WIC Kid friendly foods (many of these kids will not have eaten really healthy and may ONLY eat hotdogs, corndogs, chicken nuggets, etc. so we buy some of those kiddie frozen meals until we can figure out what else they like and will eat and they keep for a long time and are nice to have if you get placement late at night of a hungry toddler) If you have a local Foster Parent Association, check with them to see if they have strollers, highchairs, etc. for you to use. Our local chapter gets new carseats donated from the local Children's Hospital and typically have one on hand. It could save you from using yours and you maybe could return yours and purchase a highchair or some other necessity. If I think of more I will edit or post again. Kim

It would be a good idea to get a thermometer and Childrens/Infant Tylenol. I got a baby from hospital all bruised up and in pain.

I'd hit up some yard/garage sales for toys, books, puzzles, stuffed animals, games, etc. You can get alot of almost new stuff for a few dollars. A night light might be a good idea, too, for the bedroom, hallway and bathroom. Good Luck!

WOW what a great post. To be honest. I hadn't even thought about bath toys. Those would be one of those things I wouldn't think about until I gave them a bath but I know they would come in very handy. I am foster to adopt same age children and picked up some diapers, newborn, 2 and 4. After reading the post I am glad I did it that way. I didn't want to have a ton of diapers I might not use in certain sizes and figured this was most logical. I also picked up tons of toys from family and friends and community wide garage sales. They tend to have the best sales. When there's tons of people trying to sell their things, prices tend to drop lower just to get it out of the house. I also got some toddler wipies and hand wash and shampoo. We have a full size bed so I got a child safety rail for that. I also painted one side of the wall in chalk board paint and got tons of chalk for play. There are these nightlights you can get that look like big circles that stick on the wall. Just press them and they turn on. I love those. Also I recently thought about socks. I bought them in all sizes, plain jane white for both boy and girl. I was considering buying some sort of undies for 3 year olds but figured if I did get a 3 year old and they were potty trained I could run out and pick some up. Don't know if I still should? Also picked up some outside Little Tikes toys from the a site on the web with locals who want to swap things from the house for free. You can offer or post wanted things and a lady gave me a play house, jungle gym, picnic table and 2 slides all Little Tikes for free. I just water pressured them and repainted them. They look good as new.

I second the yard sale idea. Having an adequate number of toys, puzzles, books, and Baby Einstein DVD's is a must. Oh... and a night light. I have had one little one that was TERRIFIED of the dark. Don't go crazy with clothes as you don't know exactly what age(s) you'll get. Good luck!