Trying not to freak out...

Couple of things:First, let your agency know. Our kids' mom had bed bugs and since visits were at the agency, they were suspended until she had an exterminator clear her home. (It took about a month to get funding from the state.)Second, just sealing things in bags doesn't work for bed bugs. They can live for a long time without biting a person. The key is high heat. Don't let PJ take anything extra to visits. When he gets home, have him take off anything he's wearing and put it, along with anything else mom sent back with him, in the dryer on high for an hour first. Then wash and dry on the hottest cycles.

Couple of things: First, let your agency know. Our kids' mom had bed bugs and since visits were at the agency, they were suspended until she had an exterminator clear her home. (It took about a month to get funding from the state.) Second, just sealing things in bags doesn't work for bed bugs. They can live for a long time without biting a person. The key is high heat. Don't let PJ take anything extra to visits. When he gets home, have him take off anything he's wearing and put it, along with anything else mom sent back with him, in the dryer on high for an hour first. Then wash and dry on the hottest cycles.

I wish I could ask her not to send any more. I think the visit supervisors have told her, but she doesn't really listen to anyone and does what she wants. Once in a while she sends new, but mostly used. PJ's drawers are literally over flowing and we don't have room for more. She sends cheap bracelets too. We have several baggies full of bracelets that PJ will not keep on. (I've tried to put them on for her visit, but she just pulls them off). I have to take PJ to meet her mom for a parenting assessment this weekend. Maybe I'll get a chance to ask her mom not to send so much.

Bracelets on a1 year old? I'd pass on that. That's a huge choking hazard. If mom keeps sending stuff is just box it up and either send it back or store it someplace where your house can't be infested. If you keep sending stuff back at each visit maybe she'll stop sending stuff.

uhhhggg, I'm terrified of ever meeting bed bugs. Do you plan on letting the CW know? Maybe they can help mom arrange something to get her place treated so she doesn't have to live with them either. My sister-in-law had to deal with lice multiple times with her last placement, when the girls kept coming home with it. She never breaks down, but after the 4th time she called my mom in tears to come over and shampoo them out for her and she still shivers if someone mentions lice. It improved when the CW got involved though.

OMG. I would die. I already have PTSD from dealing with bed bugs at the shelter I used to work at. Once they move in they are almost impossible to get rid of. And like a previous poster said, unlike lice, they do not die after a few days without human hosts. They can live for literally months. High heat or really harsh chemicals are the only thing that will kill them. A regular dryer doesn't get hot enough - unless it has a anti-bacterial setting. I'd also wash on sanitize, if you choose to continue bringing these clothes into your home. Once it gets hot enough - if you live in a place where it gets hot enough (here in Texas it gets plenty hot enough) you can put stuff in black trash bags and leave them in the trunk of a car out in the sun. I myself would explain to the caseworker the situation, and that you cannot have her send anymore clothes. I'd also be really concerned about her bringing them back from visits. Yikes. My worst nightmare.

I talked to CW and he is going to talk to mom. The agency has known about bed bugs since pj was brought into care. The hospital had to bring in an exterminator because there was a bed bug in a bottle that mom brought in. I've pretty much been told we can't ask her not to bring stuff for PJ - Even after we got lice from her last year. I am kind of wondering if a bug got in her coat sleeve. I had her in the emergency room tonight because she had a bad allergic rash on her arm. The doctor couldn't say that it was from a bug, but it was consistent with what you would see with an allergic reaction to an insect bite. I took pictures and will be sending them to the CW.

CW should get involved. Sounds like mom needs help with extermination--possible funding??? A lot of abuse/neglect cases are poverty based. I would take nothing in my house. I would store it all in totes or something in a garage or outdoor shed. I am scratching just thinking about it.

Bed bugs can also be transferred on the clothes the person is wearing. I hate to say it, but you have seen at least one. Who knows if more have gotten in that you did NOT see. I would be proactive now and get some of the items that you can watch and see evidence if you have them. I'd also make a game of having her change her clothes when you get home, but how to protect your car? They are on the city busses here and I, without thinking that FFS would hear it, and process it because he has to ride bus with bio mom, blurted something in the car about it, which he then apparently said to bio mom during a visit and suddenly became "he was terrified to get on the bus" which turned into me not supporting RU. I am sorry, but bed bugs ARE a serious thing. I have woken to bites on my arms and freaked about bed bites so many times tearing my bed apart looking for them. (Turn out to be chiggers, we get them really bad here in the spring/summer/fall). I am sorry that you are having to deal with this. :-(

Can you toss them , leave them or give them back to the mother? This a concern for every person that enters that visitation center. I think the worker should think about that. Also if you put them in the house, garage or shed. I heard they can go to neighbors houses. I would also talk to the supervisor of the visiting center.

I had a biomom who was forever getting bracelets for the baby. I just took them off and put them in a baggie. She sounds like she's trying. Sending things home with you means she trusts you to care for them. So, her heart is in the right place. As for bedbugs, I would be afraid to use my own washer/dryer. Can you take the whole bin to a laundry mat and just dump it all in a big washer? I would change the child before letting him/her into the car for the ride home. I would also notify the cw. Mom needs to get rid of those. It's not fair for the child to have living in that situation -even for a day.

The visit supervisor put her foot down and told mom that she would not carry bags of things back from her any more. Mom I guess was not happy, but it's being done to protect PJ and her home and any other foster child transported with that visit supervisor. In the meantime, I have checked every mattress and around them and all my furniture. I have not seen anything, but am still going to get some mattress covers just in case. I also ordered some diatomaceous earth. It's non toxic and hurts the shell of the bug. So if there are any hiding where I can't see - that should help get them. An ounce of prevention...

I would do those things, too. Like you said, better to stop a possible infestation rather than wait and find out you have a problem. Ugh. Between this and lice, it makes me want to give up fostering.

I know. PJ is worth it, but it's such a pain to deal with some of these things.

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