[coopspa]

So, we keep getting letters from the county about the need for emergency care (24 hrs to two weeks of foster care). We currently have a year old baby girl that was placed with us 11 mo ago for adoption. When we first started we assumed we would be placed with a 3-6 year old sibling group (the baby was a total suprise) and got the room ready accordingly. So we have the space. DH and I talked it over and thought it might be something we could do. I do have some questions for anyone out there that has done this.

1. Do these kids come with clothes and other items? If not, does the county provide vouchers or such?

2. What about car seats?

3. What has been the emotional toll on you and your family?

4. What are things that have arisen that you didn't expect?

5. How do they work compensation (or as my DH prefers to call it "the pocket change that barely covers formula")? You always hate to put that out there, but lets face it, it's needed.

General idea of what its like?

We live in Los Angeles. I know most of you can't give specific details because we live in different areas, but I'd like at least a general idea.

Good or bad, lets hear it.

Coopspa

[Imani68]

Hi Coopspa~

We've done respite care for the past 6 year in MN and generally the police or a SW drop the kids off with the clothes on their back. Car seats are not provided, at least not in our county.

We both work so we are always sad when we have to say no to babies during the week. Kids that we accept have to be able to go to school if possible (I have been known to use a vacation day or two to accommodate a placement).

Our county has a flat day in, day out rate of about $30 a day for emergency respite care.

We have done full time foster care for one boy for just a year but we enjoy giving back to the community by doing respite.

Good Luck!

[coopspa]

Forgot to ask how often you usually have placements.

Coopspa

[Imani68]

Definitely more in the summer months but we've gone for long stretches w/o a call. We are also at the top of the list of respite homes since our last name begins with "A". Since we work full time and tend to be a very busy family, we only take placement when the children are age appropriate for our family (school age if its a week day/night call) and when we are not scheduled for something on the weekend. We have said no to many placements.

[coopspa]

Thank you for your quick reply. It's certaily a good jumping off point.

[missw005]

I do emergency shelter care and respite care. I used to do "regular" foster care but it became too difficult to keep giving the kids back after extended periods of time - for me and for my sons.

But in answer to your questions:
1. Do these kids come with clothes and other items? If not, does the county provide vouchers or such?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I've never had to use vouchers as I keep a pretty good stash of various sizes of clothes for boys here at our house. Once I got a girl and had to borrow clothes from friends, but the way I've been explained it was that you only get vouchers if the emergency placement becomes a regular placement - more than 48-72 hours.

2. What about car seats?
Again, I keep a couple extras at home. I had to borrow an infant seat from a friend for the weekend once.

3. What has been the emotional toll on you and your family?
The first time we did it, it was hard, but my sons are young. Once they understood the kid(s) were just "visiting" for a couple days, it became easier. But my sons will ask, "Where's ****?" for weeks afterward, even if it's a kid they didn't like, which I thought was odd.
It's also a little more strange as we're from a really small town, so we'll often times see the child or his parents again later.

4. What are things that have arisen that you didn't expect?
I switched to crisis and respite care as long-term "regular" foster care was too difficult and we all got too attached to the kids. But that still happens sometimes - and it's still painful when you know what the kids are going back to.
Also, when kids enter long-term care, it's either happened before or they're pretty prepared for it by the workers. But in crisis/emergency care, most of the time the kids have no idea what's happening to them. It's very scary and makes them angry and act out, or scream and shriek, it's very intense at first. Especially when they're delivered to you by the police. And it was overwhelming to my kids. I try to have them in a different part of the house, or outside - whichever is the opposite location of the kids coming in - at first, so everyone can acclimate without it being so intense. Let alone the natural staring and questions your kids will ask to the new kids before they've even had a chance to process what's happening to them.

5. How do they work compensation (or as my DH prefers to call it "the pocket change that barely covers formula")? You always hate to put that out there, but lets face it, it's needed.
Yah............the voucher system. ugh. Most times I don't see compensation for 30-60 days. It depends when the placement occurs, if it's before or after the day when vouchers are run through the accounting department. If you miss it, you have to wait until the next one. You pretty much have to be prepared NOT to get repaid for at least a month or two.
Sometimes you can get emergency vouchers, but it's not a common happenstance here in Minnesota.

6. How often do you get called for placements?
As a single parent and a substitute teacher, I try to do weekends and holidays during the school year as I don't work in the same school district that we live in. Also, arranging daycare is difficult as well. Otherwise I try to do it mostly in the summertime when I'm not working. But we're also a small area, so I don't get too many, at least not ones I'd accept - the violent ones and teenagers get sent to a shelter about an hour away. That just doesn't work with my kids' ages - under 6. So usually under 5 a year.

Sandy

[madfostermomma]

I was told here in NJ you get $12.00 day to provide emergency care. Hubby and I both work but are looking for infants( or at least toddler) - My mom is fingreprinted and approved to help watch our kids as his mom and both would be able to handle an infant. They both live failry close so they are just as much on call as we are. I got my first cal at 2am about 2 weeks ago for 3 children but said no as I wasnt prepared for 3. Now we're just waiting for the next call.

[jackiesbooks]

I am in MD.

1. Do these kids come with clothes and other items? If not, does the county provide vouchers or such?
If they come right from the home, usually not. I have had emergency placements of kids that were in foster care and had to be moved - they all had plenty. I had a brother and sister that only came with the clothes on their back. They had to go to school the next day. I got clothes from parents - very few things -- one pair of socks/ 2 pairs of underwear. I got an extra 30. for each one. I spend double that.

2. What about car seats?
I do not take babies, but I have 2 booster seats.

3. What has been the emotional toll on you and your family?
My true emergency have been fine and no real drama. One of my emergency placement was the one boy in my son's school that he did not get along with. It still was fine. The brother and sister mentioned in #1 were suppose to be here 4 days. They stayed 3 weeks. We had to have them moved.


4. What are things that have arisen that you didn't expect?
The lack of basic clothing that they come with.

5. How do they work compensation (or as my DH prefers to call it "the pocket change that barely covers formula")? You always hate to put that out there, but lets face it, it's needed.
In MD, it is just the normal daily rate and sometimes a LITTLE extra for clothes.

My suggestion - start collecting clothes in all different sizes. Ask family and friends for hand me downs. Yard sales etc. I look for cheap
nice clothing in all sizes. Sometimes it is not always possible to run to the store for clothes the night they are placed. I also have a few extra tootbrushes, comb brushes ready.

[Imani68]

I agree w/ Jackiesbooks...Yard sales are a great way to find clothing so you can be prepared when kids come w/o anything.

[madfostermomma]

Anyone have any placements lately? I had that one call for 3 kids that I said no to originally ( I found out they slept on floor at DYFS office so now I carry that guilt and will probably say yes to baby elephant in the middle of the night if they call ) and have not been called on since. ( They called for placement during the day of a 9 yr old boy which is about 4 yrs over my top age range)


Anyway getting antsy and just wondering how often the phone rings at other people's houses.

[Imani68]

We got a 1:30am call Saturday morning for a 7 year old girl and 1 hour later the police called to say they had found an aunt to take her...