[RobinandGarry]

Hi, I am new to this so I hope I do this right. My husband and I should be certified in a couple weeks. We are going to be foster to adopt parents. We are hoping to have 3 kids from birth to 5 placed with us. We are not sure what all we should buy to be ready. So can anyone give us advise on what we should get ahead of time. Also any words of wisdom you would like to share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[ALfostermom]

the only thing i would buy ahead of time is beds and dressers. a twin bed is great b/c it can be for kids btw 1 1/2 (with side rail) and young teen. and a baby bed if you want an infant. everything else can be bought after you get the child. Unless you bought unisex items on sale-- it is only a bargain if it is something u actually use.

[waitingtobeamom]

I would suggest putting out the word to friends, family, church groups etc. that you will be fostering and the age ranges. They may have clothes they want to get rid of. We had nothing when we got our first placement of three girls and had to make a run to Wal*Mart at 9:00 on the first night. NO FUN!!!! Now we have a good start. Everything is in the basement in rubbermaid tubs labeled with gender and size. We should have something to get us through the first night with new placements.

I would also suggest buying things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, lice shampoo, hairbrushes, combs, cups, bottles, diapers (about size 3) and formula (call your WIC office and see what they use), Children's tylenol. You might even want to buy some school supplies while they are on sale (if you are going to have school age kids).

[carlychan]

You might also try freecycle in your area. You can ask for baby and kid things and often receive lots of responses. If you are getting a crib or other baby item I would check and make sure it is no recalled. We were only approved 2 weeks before we received our fs at 4 months old (3 months premie though). We only had a crib (with bedding) and an infant seat. We rushed out to buy everything else...which was good because he had some sensitivities and needs special soap, lotion, formula, etc. You might keep this in mind. If you are a foster/adopt home you will most likely have a little time to go get things (i.e. it won't be an emergency). Good luck!

[wannafostersoon]

I was going to recommend Freecycle. :smile: Craigslist too, for inexpensive baby items. I bought the entire Aquarium set (bouncer, swing, crawl through, etc.) for $50 in excellent condition. I continuously see carseats advertised on there for $25 or less, and many of them would be very expensive if you bought new (ie. Britax). The ages you are looking to get are pretty much the ages of my children now.

I would suggest investing in a couple of DVDs such as Disney/Pixar or Little Einsteins. You may not be big on children watching a lot of TV, but trust me those videos WILL save your sanity at some point. You can start putting the feelers out with friends and family for toys but also try second hand shops. I've found some great buys at the local Salvation Army.

Toddler and Twin size beds are a given. A high chair may be on your list if your county places a lot of infants. Enjoy your journey.

[lnussbaum]

The thing is, you wouldn't want to get a call for a child or children and have NOTHING on hand! Do you have any local thrift stores/second hand stores? You also need to log on to Craigslist and hit any local garage sales.

If I were in your shoes, I'd try to get my hands on a crib and a twin bed. As already stated, a twin bed can be used on a toddler if you have bed rails. If you can get a toddler bed fairly cheap, consider that too.

See what kind of bedding you can find. We started going to our local thrift store once a week and we picked up all sorts of crib and twin size sheets, blankets, etc for just a couple dollars each.

Other things to consider: car seats, high chair, stroller, toys.

As far as toys go, we tried to find a few things for both boys and girls just to tide them over until we saw what sex of children we would have. Then at that point, you can go buy things they are interested in. Initially, we picked up a couple dolls, trucks, puzzles, crayons, coloring books, children's books, Disney video's, a tea set, a wooden barn with animals, etc, all bought second hand.

[WannaBtheMommy]

DH and I are getting ready, too!
I have a bed with blue bedding, dresser with a hutch and desk, some books (I have neices and nephews so many are gently used), a lamp and some art/craft supplies stashed in my craft area.
DH already has a Playstation 2 and some "E" games, as we have nephews and neices that like to play. We have a laptop with internet, and I'm a BIG CraigsList fan. I also Freecycle. When we do get placement, I'll put the call out with my freecycle group, and family. I'll also garage sale it for any sporting equipent our potential son may like. I have a basketball, soccerball and baseball mitt/bat already.

The room we have is not HUGE, but we did it in blues and whites. I do need to change the showercurtain in the bathroom, as it is floral... Hmmmm, maybe I'll take a trip to WallyWorld later (hahahaha)

[CaddoRose]

Another resource can be either/both any religious group you might be part of (church or associated group) or any social organizations you might be part of. Sunday school classes are often looking for a good cause to use some $$ for, while others might have a clothes closet or a group that helps out babies. Social groups can also be helpful in that many of the members might have unwanted items you are looking for.

Where I live we have a Goodwill store and a local charity store that benefits abused women. Both fantstic places to shop for bedding, clothes and toys. Other places might be Saint Vincent DePaul and Salvation Army stores. I bought an unused crib with a mattress for $25.

[HappyHopefulMommy]

We are in a very similar situation. We are doing fost/adopt and are asking for 2 - 4 kids, 0 - 6. We have been waiting for 5 months and I feel so unprepared. Our agency really tries to do slow transitions though. So, we should have time after finding out that we have been matched. But, we do have a crib, a twin bed, a ton of baby boy clothes (only because we had a failed adoption a year ago), and the clothes my 8 yr. old daugther has out grown I have saved most of, bottles, sippy cups, 1 can of formula, some diapers. I have just tried to not get too much because I have no idea if we will get an infant and a 4 yr old, or a 2, 3, and 5 year old or . . .? Oh - we also have carseats, one infant, 2 toddler, 1 booster (most of the car seats were given to us). And most kids do come with at least some clothes. Good luck and be patient.

[ALfostermom]

one thing with carseats and formula they do have expiration dates on them so be careful. Also if a carseat has ever been involved ian an accident, no matter how minor, it needs to be destroyed. so please be careful with getting used car seats.