[jarian]

My DH and I went to our ninth class last night. Our CW doesn't come often but she came last night. She told me that she will call me to schedule our homestudy and will try to coordinate our homestudy and interviews all in the same day! On Dec 8th, we will be done with our classes and she told me to start getting our home ready for a placement. I am so excited!!! I feel like I'm nearing the end of a pregnancy. My DH and I have had fun shopping for stuff for newborn through 4 years old. I know there's a lot of ups & downs in fost/adopt situations, but right now I'm on cloud nine! I can't wait for us to care for our first little kiddo. We've still got a lot of shopping to do. The only thing that makes me nervous is trying to find a daycare that accepts calls at the last minute for foster children and being a good foster mommy. I'm sure a lot of you were excited and nervous before your first placement. I can't wait!!!

[potentialsinglemom]

I know how you feel. I did have fun picking out things for my future children. I went daycare shopping during my lunch hour, and actually enjoyed it. It feels so real when you call around to doctors and see if they are taking on new patients.


I am at the point that where I have to put stuff in my rented storage. I wanted to make sure I was covered. I am having to do a major overhaul on my house, A G A I N.

[jarian]

Originally Posted by potentialsinglemom

I know how you feel. I did have fun picking out things for my future children. I went daycare shopping during my lunch hour, and actually enjoyed it. It feels so real when you call around to doctors and see if they are taking on new patients.


I am at the point that where I have to put stuff in my rented storage. I wanted to make sure I was covered. I am having to do a major overhaul on my house, A G A I N.

How did you do with finding a daycare? Are they willing to squeeze in a last minute call when you get a placement? Does your state pay daycare fees? I am shopping around now and I hope it's not going to be stressful. If the State does pay daycare, should we find centers that accept State payments? Did your CW give you a heads up as to what centers to call?

[potentialsinglemom]

Originally Posted by jarian

How did you do with finding a daycare? Are they willing to squeeze in a last minute call when you get a placement? Does your state pay daycare fees? I am shopping around now and I hope it's not going to be stressful. If the State does pay daycare, should we find centers that accept State payments? Did your CW give you a heads up as to what centers to call?

No, my cw was no help. I had asked her about other foster parents who could possible watch my children, and she said all the foster parents were at capacity for respite or they too worked out of the home. Do not be stressed, Girl it was fun. I took along one of my new coworkers and she enjoyed the fact that I was including her in the process and she was able to see how I was managing the process (she had been thinking of fostering). She asked questions like I asked questions.

In Texas, on our DFPS website, there is a "child care licensing link". You can search daycares by zip codes and by how often they are scheduled for inspections ( you will be surprise at how many day cares get inspected every zero to three mos), and you can see what their violations were, whether or not the parents, inspector the daycares themselves reported the violation. They, the website and daycares will tell you if they accept daycare subsidy.

There were some facilities who were willing to take the children on the a emergency standing, if there child census was not high. I did not choose one of those. I was looking for someone to help me with the molding of the mind and still allow them to be kids.


I talked to several administrator over the phone, and everyone that I talked to said "come by at ANY time." And that is what I did.
The daycare I chose, I actually visited twice at two different times. It was a "too good to be true situation". I heard the school was the "Bomb" with their standards, but I had no reason to experience it. It is actually ran by my church. And they accept the child daycare subsidy

In my state, there is child care assistance, it usually averages about two to three days before it takes affect. It is available to single foster parents who work 40 hrs wkly and to two parent foster homes where both the parents work 40 hrs or more.

[wellnow]

Hey PotentialSingleMom..where are you located in TX? I thought I was the only one that read the violations, etc. on the daycare link...it's very interesting to see how the "pricy" ones sometimes have more violations that the others...and it's great that you can get details about the violation and whether or not it has been resolved...

[potentialsinglemom]

Originally Posted by wellnow

Hey PotentialSingleMom..where are you located in TX? I thought I was the only one that read the violations, etc. on the daycare link...it's very interesting to see how the "pricy" ones sometimes have more violations that the others...and it's great that you can get details about the violation and whether or not it has been resolved...

I am in San Antonio (region 8).

Yes, I was very intrigued at the violations of the pricey daycares. I had to sit down and explain to some of foster class mates how to manuever through the site, what to look for, etc.

[sarahdaisy]

I know what you mean, Jarian. I am excited every single day. Whenever I stop and realize that a baby is coming soon, I get so happy!! My hubby and I are accepting 0-12month olds, so we put up our crib this week. That has really made it real for me. I kinda feel like I'm pregnant, too! We'll be licensed in 3 weeks, or so my SW says. 6 weeks until we can accept a placement. I can't wait!!

A good friend of mine is opening a home daycare, so I have to find out how payment works. My SW has not told me anything about reimbursement for daycare, and said I have to wait to find out that kind of info until after I am licensed. That makes no sense to me, since I need to start planning for a daycare NOW! sigh. Oh well.

[wellnow]

Originally Posted by potentialsinglemom

I am in San Antonio (region 8).

Yes, I was very intrigued at the violations of the pricey daycares. I had to sit down and explain to some of foster class mates how to manuever through the site, what to look for, etc.

I am in Dallas...I've been looking at daycares in my area and they are expensive. However, my church has a daycare, takes the subsidy and is 2 blocks from my house....can't beat that...

I have a ways to go before I am licensed but it's great to see everyone being very proactive in getting ready!!!

[jb41503]

wellnow - are you just starting out like I am? I am my orientation meeting January 8th and am so excited!

[fredalina]

i know just how you feel! My DH and i are (hopefully) really close to being approved. We ran into some snags right at the end, which is worse because the cw indicated we'd be approved long before now, but she had trouble getting it submitted (illness, etc), and then she lost some paperwork and it had to be re-submitted, etc. It could be any day now, and i feel like i'm "nesting" like they say women do in the third trimester of pregnancy. Suddenly the bedroom needs to be perfect, i need to hoard clothing in a variety of sizes, i bought a binder for all the child's paperwork, i made myself forms to fill out for questions to ask the caseworker, etc.

It's getting so exciting, ladies! Of course, i keep telling myself that even after we're approved it could be a while before we have a placement, and i'd rather the kids not be removed right before Christmas anyway, but it's so hard not to get super excited.

[sarahdaisy]

It's so fun to read other's excitement like mine. I'm expecting to be licensed in about 2 weeks. My hubby and I are waiting until we get back from our out-of-town Christmas visit to accept our first placement and I can't wait!!! We are getting back one month TODAY! Ahhh!! I'm glad this thread is still going, because sometimes I want post, but don't really have anything new to post about.
I can't believe we started this process in May, and we are finally getting down to the wire. Is anyone else jumping out of their skin waiting for licensure and then the inevitable phone call? I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas.