[katie119]

We have just completed our third training class (1 left) The trainer said we should be ready for placement by end of Sept..(I thinks she is lying but that is another post) My question is Does any here use daycare if both foster parent work? They told us they pay for daycare . I was wandering how much if any time did you take off from work? I am planing on taking 2 possible 3 weeks off. We are not rich and I can not take FMLA without pay. It is possible to start bonding with a child that is placed with you in two weeks the place it in daycare for 7hours a day. We are taking placements 0-3. Also how do you handle vacation we weekend plan in Williamsburg for Dec Can I take my foster child with us? Thanks for all your help and sorry for rambling

Denise

[rindava]

....if this is straight foster and not adoption or foster to adopt you may not want to use up all your time off because children may come and go a lot....if it is adoption or foster to adopt then that is another thing..

most agencies want you to take the child with you on vactions, others have funny rules and if the child is going to miss visitation with b-parents they will not let you go with the child. They put the child in another foster home while you are gone, then return the child to you when you get back. Most agencies do not let any foster child go out of country. You almost always have to get a special travel letter stating that the child is in care of such and such agency or state and you are the foster parent. In most states foster parents can't make medical decisions.

NJ has a lot of foster children so getting a placement that soon isn't unheard of.....some state pay for child care pretty easily, others have a long drawn out process to get it..

Good luck

[waiting home]

Many can arrange it for you, but probably will not offer. I would tell them that they need to take care of that for you in order for the placement to remain intact. And you give them the time table. If you do not want to take off work (or only want a week) tell the worker it has to be taken care of and CONFIRMED WITH YOU by then. Also, never tell them exactly how long you will be off. If you take a week off, tell them its 3 days they have to get the daycare arranged and that you need to check out the facility before you will agree to it.

Do not fall for the "go ahead and enroll them in daycare, it will take a while to get paperwork done and WE'LL REIMBURSE YOU."

You will never see that money. Also, make sure that it is a day care that has worked with your agency DCFS coordinator before. It will save you A LOT of headaches and $$$$$.

Just a little advice from previous experience.