Advertisements
Hello everyone! I have a question that may seem a little off but, I figured what better place to ask. Would we be doing to much if my husband and I went ahead and setup the nursery for our hopeful future placements? We haven't even gone to the initial informational meeting with dfps, the 19th seems to be taking forever to get here. But we are already 100% sure that fostering and adoption is what we want to do. I have heard people say to wait until you have a placement before setting up, but I have also heard about people starting before hand as well. Sometimes you are required to already have a crib and sometimes you aren't. My hopes are that beginning to setup a room will help with my eagerness to get the ball rolling. What has been some of the experiences of others?
Like
Share
We are a little different as we are getting 2 via ICPC so we already knew ages/sexes but we had everything set up prior to our first meeting. We even got a list of what they checked for and made sure we had every item on the list so that we could speed our approval process up. Our LW seemed to like it.
Advertisements
I would go to orientation, and decide your age range first. My age range changed a lot, and your licensor will try to increase it-so that you get more placements. I was also going to take just girls at the beginning, and then I kept getting boys. I ended up taking both, but all my long term have been boys.
My husband and I are starting training tomorrow, handed in paperwork already and completed fingerprinting. We already started setting up the room, especially to show that we do have the crib set up and we also decided to add a bunk bed for older children. We set it up in neutral colors so that it works for both boys and girls! We still have stuff to set up, but it has been a fun way to begin the process while waiting on all the other stuff to happen! :prop:
Advertisements
We had (and still have on record) *hard and fast parameters* of: girls / 4-10 / no medical issues, but would take behavioral / mental issues. Preferred siblings. We had lengthy conversations, did the research, did the homework. We've had 2 long term placements. Both boys. NOT siblings. The first was 2.5 when we got him. The other we got at 10 weeks old - and was a preemie and has significant medical issues. We just agreed to accept placement of a 5 month old deaf boy. So - if we would have done a pink room with twin beds we would have had to do it all over again. Thankfully - we did a neutral room (khaki walls), with multi-colored striped quilts (so we could change sheets based on age). We got a small set of bunk-beds, which is going to work out well - because the 2.5 year old (now 4) sleeps on the top bunk and we are going to move the 10 week old (now 18 months) into the bottom bed and add side rails. Then the 5 month old can go into the crib we had to get last minute when we got the 2nd one. What I'm saying is.... You may *think* you absolutely know without a shadow of a doubt what you want to accept..... but things sometimes work out differently. I think it's fine to go ahead and do the room - just leave yourself as many openings as you can to add "flavor" by the kids.
I always knew my age range was 0-18 months. When I started MAPP classes I started slowly acquiring infant/toddler items. Between MAPP finishing and my licensing I set up the nursery. I did gender neutral Pottery Barn Peter Rabbit decorations. I was placed with my AD when she was 8 months old. I did not use the swing or bouncy chair but ended up using them when I fostered her 1/2 sister the first time. I am back waiting for a foster to adopt placement 0-18 months. The nursery is still set up from fostering my AD 1/2 sister.