[WeR1]

We are getting ready to put a gift bag together for our daughter. She was in a Hogar until last month and is now living with one of her caregivers and her husband. I am not sure what would be appropriate to send to the foster family. Our agency suggested earrings for her, but we have seen pictures of them and she wore no jewelry. We were told a monetary gift could be taken from the bag and suggested that we do that on our pickup trip. If anyone has any advice on something that would fit in a gallon bag and is not a liquid please let me know. I hope to go shopping tomorrow and would greatly appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks
Jody

[robandjulie]

Depending on her age and style...

We sent some nice chocolates and chocolate covered espresso beans and such. We also included a pretty shawl/scarf/wrap I'd found at a local place for the foster mom. For the dad we didn't know what he'd like so I tagged some of the chocolate covered nuts and stuff as being for him.

A nice watch, wallet, or purse may also work, depending on their styles. For a visit-trip gift we brought some coffee mugs from the university where I work, but that probably wouldn't be good for shipping.

Have fun! I always get so overwhelmed when I walk into the store and realize I have no idea what to get them, so I understand!

[Alexismandyjr]

We gave our FM a nice dependable watch. She loved it. Just a suggestion... Watches are partical gifts.

[cbmstephanie]

We have gotten our Foster Mother a variety of things. I did a picture book from Kodak online. It contained the pictures from the updates we received as well as pictures from when we had visited. She enjoyed it because although we received the pictures from the updates, she didn't.

We also gave her a bracelet that had charms that contained pictures of the girls. She really liked it and it wasn't expensive, but looked really nice...and has great sentimental value.

For our pickup trip we brought her a Black Hills Gold necklace. That was special because we are from South Dakota and Black Hills Gold is mined here. She enjoyed knowing the gold was from the state in which we lived.

She'll love whatever you choose to give her.

[angel_bayou]

We also did a variety of things for our foster family. We gave the foster mom some chocolates and a TON of baby items on our first visit and she loved the idea because she said she didn't have very many things for the children to play with. I know these were used because I seen photos of my daughter and three other foster children playing with them. She told me recently she still has them and her current fosterchild is using them too!! Anyway I also did chocolates, a photo book, a Swarski crystal hair clip, a watch, and perfume/lotion. We gave the foster dad a watch and he LOVED it. Oh and I also gave them some t-shirts from our home town as we're known as the Catfish captial of the world. They had a daughter as well so we gave her one of the magnetic fridge alphabet tos from Leap frog and they raved about it!! I was told she still uses it. Sorry to have rambled!

[Shannavi]

I gave items from my state such as salt water taffy and T-shirts (we live near a coastal resort city), hair pieces, nice "gourmet" soaps,and our agency rep got us a gift cert. from a local dept store in the area to give.
I was hard to pick out items for a family we had so much gratitude for taking take of our beautiful son for 10 months.

[cattlefarms]

Our first care package we sent, Sports hats for the foster father of the cardinal and cubs, and for the foster mother we sent bath and body works, and chocolates. The second care package we sent chocolates, and soft socks, and watches.. on our visit trip and pickup we gave cash and photo books.. Hope this helps.. chocolate is always a hit!!! We also sent stuff for the kids..Hannah Montana, Barbie etc..

Kristi

[Jane901]

We gave our foster mother and teenaged sons gifts at each visit trip. I found a nice selection of men's wallets, belts and baseball caps at tj maxx and Ross. I bought a nice purse that included a wallet and a miniature umbrella at Target! Chocolates, baseball caps, American candy were popular with the teens...as were American cd's. I gave the boys a portable cd player and the Grammy nominees cd on one visit - figured that would give them a good taste of current popular music.
At the pick up trip I gave the foster mother a necklace with interlocking hearts, a Willow Tree figurine of a woman holding a baby and some small decorative items for her house. I enjoyed buying things for her after I met her the first time! OH - if you have room, send a disposible camera in the bag so you can have pics of your baby with the foster family. Seeing the photos gave me some really good ideas of things they needed or might like for their home!