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What I've heard from others is that you can get licensed for 1 baby in a 1 bdrm home but that they will be reluctant to place anything other than short term placements with you as the child cannot stay in your room for long (here children under one can share a bedroom with foster parents but children over one cannot). If you are interested in doing emergency placements/ being an "incoming foster home" (where placements last 1-90 days, a first step when they're not sure where the case is heading or they are having trouble finding a long term home or they are looking for a temp place while they wait for relatives to be approved) or doing respite care you should be fine. If you're hoping for a long term placement you may be out of luck. I don't have personal experience with this though so this is all second hand information.
We fostered only infants under 12 mos old for the first year we were licensed, because they were allowed to sleep in a crib in our bedroom. We had a 2BR house, but our 2 bio-sons were in the other bedroom.Your state may have a similar rule for infants, but foster kids need their own rooms (siblings can room together).
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states vary, but you should absolutely be able to have a newborn in a basinette with you in your BR, no problem. Once they are too heavy or long for the basinette and in a crib, you might not be able to have them in your BR...
You could put your bed in the common area and the crib in the 1BR and that should keep an agency happy. Again, that is for an infant....
The best thing to do is to just call a few agencies and let them know your situation. You don't have to fill out an application to get an answer on something like that.
It's certainly not ideal, and while the caseworker told you that you could have 0-2 year olds in your room, I do wonder if they would actually place with you, kwim?
I personally keep young infants in our room, but when they go to a crib, they move out into their own room.
The problem your agency/county is likely going to have is, what happens when the child turns 2 and needs his/her own room? Are you going to move? Disrupt the placement? What if you get a 10 month old who is at your house for 15 months before being adopted?
What is your personal plan for a bedroom for the child you could end up adopting?
I can tell you that here, you will be told the rules, but caseworkers think in real life circumstances, and you would likely not get any placements in a 1 bedroom apartment. Is there a reason you cannot move to a 2 bedroom?
Thank you everyone for responding.
I spoke with the caseworker regarding my concerns for the 1 bedroom and she said it would not be an issue. If I am placed with a child and they are reaching the age of 2 I would have to make a decision to disrupt or move.
At this time I cannot move into a 2 bedroom because I just got into this new apt and a new lease. My ultimate goal is to adopt but I am also being realistic about the situation at this time. I am open and willing to foster short term placements. I do have plans to purchase a home within the next year and a half so the 2 bedrooms will not be an issue.
if you goal is to adopt, you may want to do infant respite to get your feet wet....until you are further into your lease. You'd do a child a great disservice if you put the agency in a position where they'd HAVE to disrupt when the child turns 2.
Just my opinion, but in your case, I'd only accept newborns and preemies.
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OhioFosterMom,
Trust me the last thing I want to do is disrupt a child. These poor children have enough going on without me having to move them.
I do believe the best bet for me is respite and infants at this time until I get a bigger place. I just want to be able to do something. Help somehow, ya know?
You wouldnt necessarily have to disrupt if the child turns 2 while you are in a one bedroom. You could always make the bedroom the child's and get a comfy sofa/bed pullout for yourself. Not the most idea situation, but it would work until you found a bigger place.
Hey! I just wanted to say that that's what I thought that I could do too in my own living situation in which I too have a one bedroom apartment! And so you're reply just helped me to see that I'm all the more right in how to go about an adoption while living in a one bedroom apartment! So thanks because your reply just pretty much confirmed what I thought, that I could actually adopt any age child while living in a one bedroom apartment just by giving the child the room for now and getting a sofa bed till I can move to a bigger place!
You wouldnt necessarily have to disrupt if the child turns 2 while you are in a one bedroom. You could always make the bedroom the child's and get a comfy sofa/bed pullout for yourself. Not the most idea situation, but it would work until you found a bigger place.