[_LeAnn_]

Hello, my name is LeAnn. My husband and I have given thought to fostering for almost two years now. Reason we haven't started the process yet is becuase he was assigned a position overseas. We currently live in Germany and will be returning to the states permenantly this Nov. That's when we'll start the process. However, I'm very curious now and have been doing some research and came across this forum. I'm very happy to have found such an amazing support system.

Anyway..on to my questions. First off I'd just like to get an overview of what the training will cover. We're originally from the state of michigan and I looked at their .gov site and read that they only require 12 hours of training. I'm not sure if it this is true but this is what I gathered from the site. That seems like such a small amount of time. Just curious what are the topics covered? is it basic rules & regulations?

Also, about the home inspection..what are some things I should be aware of? I imagine my house would have to be up to building/safety code but is there some "unusual" things I should be concerned with that CW freak about??

I apoligize if this has been covered recently...if so please point me in that direction with a link.

Thank in advance.

LeAnn

[echobunny89]

Here in Rhode Island foster parents have to do 30 hours of training (my classes were 3 hrs every Monday night from 6pm to 9pm for 10 weeks). The classes cover everything under the sun including:

• attachment and seperation
• Grieving and loss
• child psychology to help understand what is going on in the foster child's head
• expectations the department has for its foster parents (ie what you can and can not do)
• behaviors that might be seen in the foster child and how to deal with them
• run down of what the bio-parents will experience while in the system from having the children taken to TPR. (I guess to give the foster parents some sympathy for what the bio-parent is going through)
• TPR to adoption process
• payments and stipends
• meetings with current foster parents to learn from their experiences
• ect

I really enjoyed taking the classes. I got to know other people in my community with the same interests in fostering and I felt really supported in my decision.

As far as the homestudy and home inspection goes, I actually just met with the SW who is doing my homestudy about an hour ago. I have an emergency placement so I was given a temporary license. I am waiting on my fire inspection but the SW said my house will pass with flying colors because I am so prepared. I read and re-read everything I could get my hands on to prepare myself and my home. The SW was very impressed because I had filled out all the homestudy paperwork before hand and it helped her to not have to write everything down. This also gave me an opportunity to think out my answers to the questions in the homestudy. Apparently, foster parents are supposed to fill out these questions before hand and hand them during the classes but the SW said no one ever does. I think I earned some brownie points! Seriously though, the SW usually just makes sure your home is reasonably neat and clean (my SW says it is not a test of your house keeping skills, they just want to make sure the place isn't a dump), that you have enough bedroom space for a foster child and that you have enough smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and a remote boiler switch for the furnace. That you don't have junk pilled up against your furnace ect.

Keep in mind that the SW wants to approve you and will try to make that happen. There are not enough foster parents to go around and they try really hard to get you approved. Of course, from what I have heard, once your approved, you are on your own in the system! Oh well!

[jstodd01]

I assume your with the military, are you army? My hubby is also. You sound as if your getting out or retiring. We are in Kentucky and it is the same as the last post 30 hours called GPS or ESP training. Then you have to keep up 6 or 12 hours yearly from your accept date to continue.And don't worry so much about the home study just clean up and have your smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher in the kitchen andyou should be okay. the only other thing they did was go over some of the paperwork we filled out during the class. And that was all.