Foster Bedroom Options

I'm in NY and the room has to be a dedicated bedroom. Years ago (from what I've heard), people used to put foster kids in any room to get money. Now the room has to be a bedroom and has to be a certain size. And there can be no more than 3 kids in a room.

That makes sense. I certainly don't want it to be interpreted in a negative way. I work from home on occasion as well so a combo would work, but we can definitely make changes for a full foster bedroom.

I'm pretty sure that needing a dedicated bedroom is one of the only things that is consistent between states. ;) This also means that it cannot be a room that you have to go through to get to another room and has to have access to a bathroom that doesn't require going through someone else's bedroom. In looking at size, it is a minimum square footage. What that size is probably does vary by state. Also, generally the room cannot have a door to the outside, and it must have a window that meets fire code requirements for a bedroom. Some states require the room to have a closet, but where I am it is only necessary to have "sufficient" storage space for the child's belongings. Some states have their regulations available online, so you could try a Google search. If it were me, I don't think I'd do anything drastic before starting classes or meeting with a licensing worker, because even if you do find the detailed information, regulations sometimes change without that information being changed.

Be aware that children can be noisy and messy! Also, children get into things easily, including things that aren't safe for them to handle. Even if you are allowed to have your office and a child's bedroom in one room -- which you probably aren't -- you REALLY don't want to do so, if you are going to get any work done, and if your child is going to be able to use the room for play. Do you really want to have your preschooler or school aged child yelling, "BATMAN!" while you are phoning a client? Do you really want your infant or toddler chewing on your computer cables or investigating your surge protectors?Your child deserves a dedicated bedroom. Yes, if you have two children, of the same gender and roughly the same age, they can share a bedroom if it is of sufficient size. But the bedroom shouldn't also be your office or sewing room or guest room. Using one of the two rooms as a guestroom/office makes a lot more sense, especially if you can set it up so that you can lock away any personal information, such as your tax returns, your bills, and so on, when people are visiting overnight. (Does your mother-in-law need to know what you spent for your coffee table, or that you were late in paying the phone bill, last month?) Sharon