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We got into fostering in the hopes of adopting children. We asked DCFS to only call us with children who most likely will go through tpr. We had TWENTY children either return home or move into homes with their siblings. We now have the four children we are adopting.
When a child left our home I packed all the things they came with, even if they were outgrown or no longer used. I sent them with anything that was given as a gift, either by us or our family members. If something was bought specifically for their use, such as cameras, skates, a bike, posters, or special toy (like LeapPad) I sent that.
I kept things like sheets (even if they were bought because the child's favorite color was blue), movies (Monster's INC was bought because one child saw the commercial and it looked cute, but all my subsequent kids have also enjoyed it), bikes I've bought at yard sales (for a really good price, just in case we ever got a child that fit it), books, etc.
Most of my children have come with NOTHING. If I had sent everything in my home each time each of the twenty kids left, I would be starting out with nothing each time and gone in the hole financially.
On our monthly stipend it says "Maintanence for (month)". It doesn't nearly cover what we spend for food, additional utilities, camp, dance lessons, scouts, camping, karate, piano, clarinet for band, school pictures, not to mention gas for the car (driving four kids around every day is expensive), time loss from work to stay home when they're sick or have had a rage in school and got suspended for a week, or to buy them the third coat for the season because they "don't remember" where they left the last one.
Liz, are you going to have any contact with your fdaughter? Did you end up sending her with all the books and tapes?
BTW, Anna, I think it's terrible that your children's foster mom sent the children to you with nothing. I hope it was because she was so hurt about losing the kids and not that she was fostering for the money.
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