[Krissy_and_Chris]

I live in MO and the state will pay for Daycare as long as the facility is state liscenced. My husband and I both work full time and will have to utilize daycare for our foster children (we are goign ot foster 0-3). My question is if we have a child placed with us and then have to work the next day (which we will) how will we go about getting them in to day care ??? I am asuming I will have to try to take off from work and get them enrolled, but I am sure they are not going to keep them the very next day...will they??? Sorry if these are stupid questions, but we are new to all this and trying to figure every thing out.

[tvs4]

If I were you i'd plan to have at least a weeks worth of vacation time saved up that you can take off when a child is placed in your care. Most daycares won't accept children until 1) they have medical records - esp about vaccinations and 2) they know they will get paid. These things can take time for a county to set up or get to you (esp the medical records b/c of new HIPPA laws. sometimes you need to get a court order just to get the kids vaccination record). so, if you want to foster I'd plan on missing at least a week of work - if you miss less than fine but it will take some time to get a child enrolled in daycare. Also, most daycares will not take babies younger than 6 weeks old so if you got a call for a one week old you will need to have another plan. Finally, you better start checking now for daycares that have slots open. Depending on the age of the child the waiting list can be months - even years - in some urban areas for certain daycares. So, you might start calling around now and find out about general availablity. it might make you reconsider slightly your age group if all the daycares in your town have a 3 - 6 month waiting list for children less than a year old.

not trying to scare you but just being honest from past experience.

[Krissy_and_Chris]

Thanks for the info.....it was kind of what I was afraid of. I am a new teacher and will have my first real classroom this school year ( I have been a classroom aid for 5 years). I am teaching 3-5 grade special ed. and can't take off a full week every time we get a placement! I could maybe once, but wouldn't want to since it is my first teahing job. My husband works second shift and doesn't get home until 1 or 2 in the morning so he will not be awake before I go to work. He leaves at around 2 in the afternoon, so I won't be home before he leaves......thus the need for daycare. I knew the day cares would generally not take them until 6 weeks old and we would have to be sure not to take any that small. We live in a very rural area though, and I don't really foresee too much of a problem getting a child a "spot" in a daycare.....the problem I DO see is having to wait for all the paperwork needed to get them in to care. We have gone back and forth on ages, whether we want to foster to adopt or just plain adopt, how would we manage work and court dates.........it is all getting to be a little frustrating and we haven't even started classes yet! We are sooo ready to have a child, and can't do it naturally due to fertility issues on my part. I just get so mad sometimes that they make it this hard to give a child a good home!!!

[Elle83]

With each of our placements it has taken me at a minimum 5 days to get medical records. I have a list of day care providers who I have spoken to before, who are willing to squeeze me up the waiting list (they know we are foster parents and are very helpful with us) and who I have visited. I have been able to get a child in the day after I recieved medical records. Have you considered having a list of babysitters approved? I go to school at night and hubby works days - there is a 2 hr window when neither of us is home so I have a team of babysitters approved by my agency, including a close friend (know as Aunty by my girls) and some family who are willing to come help on very short notice. We have had to do that before when a child was coming, I had an exam that night and hubby was 2 hrs drive away - all that said, I really would recomend one of you being home the first day or two, I know how hard it is being a teacher (I work in special ed too) but for the kids sake, and your own, try to figure out taking a day or two! Especially if this will make you a Mom for the first time. It was a more overwhelming transition then I expected Hope that helps some. PM if you have any questions.

[Happy_Cat]

I guess I am lucky because I have a wonderful daycare that works with me when I get a new kid. I've always been able to get them in the next day. (I say always, but that has only been twice) We live in a medium size town and there is not usually a long waiting list for daycares.

[tvs4]

Since you are a teacher - could you only take new placements in the summer when you might not be teaching? that would give you time to get a child enrolled in daycare. Just an idea.

[Krissy_and_Chris]

Originally Posted by tvs4

Since you are a teacher - could you only take new placements in the summer when you might not be teaching? that would give you time to get a child enrolled in daycare. Just an idea.

Well.....I never thought about that. We will be certifide sometime after Thanksgiving this year and so that would mean not taking a child until the NEXT May.....seems so long away when we are so ready and are doing this now because we are ready for a child. I know I could take a day or two ( I get 12 days a school year) but like I said I am a first year teacher and don't want them to think I will be ditching work all the time. I am trying to think ahead to all the court dates as well......I wil have to try to work that out as well. The more I think about it the more overwhelmed I become about how we are going to work all this out.

[jaspies11]

In TX, we had to have daycare set up ahead of time. Find the daycare that you would like and tell them your situation. I have had to do the same thing and it isn't a problem.

[Happy_Cat]

My suggestion would be to talk to your administrator in advance and explain to him/her what you are doing and that you might need time off with little notice. I am also a teacher and my administration is very understanding of time I need to take for the kids. In a way, I think they are more lenient than if they were my bio kids because he understands the legal hoops we are jumping through.

Also, I have found that the daycares will generally let you enroll without having all the information submitted. (i.e. shot records) My daycare will give me a few days to get the paperwork to them. I have only fostered in the past (until this placement) and I have taken one day off to get them set up one time and the other time I was lucky enough to not have to take any time off.

[hrisme]

Originally Posted by Happy_Cat

Also, I have found that the daycares will generally let you enroll without having all the information submitted. (i.e. shot records) My daycare will give me a few days to get the paperwork to them. I have only fostered in the past (until this placement) and I have taken one day off to get them set up one time and the other time I was lucky enough to not have to take any time off.

Here if you take a child without full medical records, you loose your license. I would never take a child directly from foster care into my child care without a medical history, even if it was legal. It would set me up for all kinds of liability issues.

[ALfostermom]

i live in a med size town and i have great daycares. they are setup to take emergency placements and give me a coule of days to get the paperwork together...get to know your daycares. i actually have a cell # for the director at the 2 daycares i use and i call them after hours if i get a placement to see if they have room. then show up the next morning 30 minutes early to fill out the information that i know nad get the rest to them asap. one of my daycares is actually licensced to take an infant as young as 2 days old if it is a foster child.

[vegaschristina]

In Nevada, you have 72 hours to get the day care the shot records and 2 weeks for the medial history. Each time I've gotten a foster child, I've been very lucky to get their shot records at the same time as I got the child, but I've got an amazing CW that I work with.

[Happy_Cat]

Originally Posted by hrisme

Here if you take a child without full medical records, you loose your license. I would never take a child directly from foster care into my child care without a medical history, even if it was legal. It would set me up for all kinds of liability issues.

Do you have to get your own shot records and medical history? My case worker has always done that for me. I have had 3 seperate placements and all of them have moved from other foster homes so maybe that makes a difference. Just curious.

[Sam-N-Tony]

Get on really good terms with a local day care that takes all ages. I have fortunately enough have a great relationship with the owner of a local day care, I have her cell and home number to call her when I get a placement, so she gives me a yay or nay. You may also check with other stay at home foster parents that may be willing to stay with your little one until the school thing is straightened out. My daycare gives me as much time as I need to get my paperwork in order as it can take up to a month to get everything I need.

Befriend someone, try a smaller daycare vs. a larger daycare, they will be more flexible that the large $$ hungry schools.

[Robbin]

I agree with previous poster. You should try to develop a relationship with a day care nearby, talk to their administrator and explain your situation. Children's records are not always immediately available. But some day cares will take an emergency placement if they know the situation.