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my husband and i just got a 2 yr old girl and 3 yr old boy foster children. social workers anticipate this is going to be a long term placement and (hopefully) will go into a foster-to-adopt situation.
currently i have a smaller SUV that kind of works, but not really. we have only had the kids 3 weeks, but we already fill it up and their legs barely fit in the back.
my question is would it be stupid to get a minivan? these kids could go back to their mom and we'd be stuck with a minivan and no kids...but right now its not as comfy as it could be.
any thoughts?!?!
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I would wait....Maybe for even just a few months to see how things progress. Unless its something you know that your going to want even if they have to leave. :)
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Ha! We are in a similar situation and actually went minivan shopping today...love the Honda Odyssey by the way;)
I say think of the future along with your present FC. If they go home, will you foster another sibling group again? Are you planing to do respites? Honestly, if it doesn't cramp your style or budget too much, I would say go for it.
But I know it does feel weird to be buying a new car "for" kids that may not be with you a long time...
Good luck!
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If they leave you will get another placement eventually and likely run into the same problem. And if you had younger kids that rear face would it be more difficult?
If you are comfortable with getting a different vehicle I would get what will work best with fostering in general.
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They are 2 and 3, how much room do they need? Which SUV do you have? I have a VUE and even FD1, who is very tall for her age, had plenty of leg room.
IMHO, unless you are in need of buying a new car (say you are already way over 100K miles) it seems frivolous to buy a new car just for the kids to have more room, unless money is not an option.
I am at 90K/8 years old but no intention of buying new for at least 4-5 more years. Having said that, I am leaning towards the Odyssey myself. I hate mini-vans, but you can get a 7 seater in that one, and it drives like a car, from what I know. I'd like a 7 seater but don't want to go up to the next level SUV.
I do agree with the PP though, even if these kids leave, you'll get new ones, so if you are really that cramped, consider getting the new vehicle. I may have to bump up my schedule if I get another baby because they are now recommending rear facing until age 2, and I am not certain I can get two rear facing seats in my VUE. :-(
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If you plan on fostering for awhile, it wouldn't be silly to get a mini-van if you can afford it. I love my mini-van. It has pretty good gas mileage, good space in it, has a DVD player for long trips, and you can take out the seats and move them around for more room. The only thing I'd change about it is that I need more space in the cargo area (which the Grand Caravan has but the reg. Carvan doesn't). I love the Caravan. I have had a Windstar and Aerostar, and a Pontiac minivan...the Pontiac is the worst of them all, the Aerostar I'd never buy again, but the Windstar was okay. However, my favorite is my Dodge Caravan :)
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LOL...When I only have 3 of 4 kids to drive (which is usually the case) I get my kids around in a Dodge Stratus or a PT Cruiser. 2 car seats and a booster. We're cramped...but we make it!
I say if you can afford a minivan without the foster care stipend go for it...don't buy it assuming the kids will stay and you'll continue to get the stipend or that you won't have a gap between placements.
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We have a hyundai Veracruz and a ford escape. All six of us only fit in the veracruz. When I have the kids the back seat is a little tight with back packs but they just throw them in the trunk.
At 4 the car seat could be gone and the booster is left so it would give you some more room. We have decided to wait because 1) I don't want two car payments 2) I don't know if we will have multiple children if these siblings RU. 3) not sure I'm ready to give up my sub and drive a "Mom" car. That said I'd love the extra room. And I've heard great things about the Odessy.
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I would suggest a larger SUV instead of a Minivan, my husband and I got one right after we got kids and now we are stuck with it with only 3 kids and are going to get a larger SUV like a tahoe or Suburban!
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We have a minivan and a large SUV. They both work well for the kids. I prefer driving the SUV, but the minivan gets much better gas mileage.
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Should you decide to buy a minivan you might want to try searching past threads - I got a LOT of suggestions when I had to make a similar decision this past summer (3 kids - 2 in carseats - do NOT work in a Honda Civic :eek:). I love my 2006 Toyota Sienna even if being a minivan mom cramps my style :cool:...
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I am pretty much having a love affair with my minivan. We bought ours when both of our kids were still foster kids, but we knew at least 1 of them was going to adoption (so we could have been left with a minivan and 1 child), and we knew we wanted to foster more and eventually have a bio child.
I am never sorry we have a minivan. Even with just 2 kids, it's a dream. We have 3 right now, and I don't think I could ever go back to a smaller car.
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thanks for the suggestions guys! we are going to wait it out a little bit, the first court hearing is in 2 weeks and we'll see how that goes...it this is FOR SURE going to be a long term placement then we'll start looking for vans. :o)
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I would shop around, my DH & I thought a minivan was the way to go but found out that a midsized suv was a better long term alternative for us, the insurance rates were lower for a Highlander than a Sienna and I questioned if I was the the minivan type. Consumer reports just rated the new cars and none of the minivans did extremely well.
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I just bought (in October) a 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan and absolutely love it. I have 2 kids (1 adopted and 1 STBA) I simply stow the center row seats, which gives a HUGE amount of room for getting the kids buckled, changing clothes if needed, groceries, etc. It also allows me to get in out of the weather when getting the kids in the car.
We just had a Christmas pkg opening for 45 mins in it with 2 kids and 3 adults (not counting myself) in the middle so my sons birth-family could see him and his fb open their gifts.
The Stow-n-Go seats allow me to flip them up for additional passengers. The GC also seats 7 with room for 3 full-size carseats across the rear. I have had up to 5 carseats in a previous GC with no problem.
One thing I would recommend is getting the captains chair seats for the middle row. This, I have found allows more options for space when you only need to have one person seated in the center row.
The cargo area is large enough to fit a quad stroller with 2 bases very comfortably. Very good gas mileage and extremely easy to drive.
I've owned an Aerostar, Voyager and 2 other Grand Caravans. I like the GC the best.
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I would suggest that it's about time for you to get a minivan, we have the same situation which me and my husband decided to buy a [URL="http://www.cardealexpert.com/"]minivan[/URL] because we have a growing family now and I think it's a best idea for kids and being comfy. I got a fantastic deal and the best car loan rate at a website I came across. It's really cute. :drive:
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