[MahaLuv2001]

The babys caseworker called me today asking me to turn in receipts for the things I purchased while he was in my care. I feel insulted and Im not sure if I should be. Why would she ask me for receipts? I purchased so many things for this baby because he came to me with little and its all mixed together, (my money & DYFS money) When she called me I to tell me that he was being placed with the Godmother I specifically asked her what did I need to do or send. As usual, she was evasive and unsure. Now I feel like her asking me for receipts is DYFS thinking I may have misused funds.

If this normal protocol during placement, then Im ok...if this isnt then I am offended. She told me to bring what I had to the office because I told her I bought him alot of jar baby food...but he didnt like it so I didnt send it, and the clothes and shoes that were too small, I didnt send them. I even have the empty cans of formula hanging around, I guess I will deliver those too. I thought it was pointless to send these items because he wasnt using them.

My experience is discouraging me. I feel as if this could possibly jeopardize future placemnt in my home and I did the best I could based on the information I received here on this board...not from her.

[vernellinnj]

Try not to be discouraged.

I find that everyone's Fostercare experience is different. I have been a FP since 2004 and I've had 3 placements (6 mos; 6 wks and 3+ years). I have never been asked to provide receipts but I'm sure others have.

Hang in there.

[mamala]

You should always keep the receipts. Some ask for them, some don't. I think they're all SUPPOSED to. I've been asked even when I sent kids home with so much stuff that it took more than one trip to the van to load them up... so don't feel insulted.

Technically, the outgrown clothes should've gone with the child, though. Just for future reference.

And even if you keep the receipts, you really don't have to worry about them equaling what you spent on that child. I mean, I would probably make sure the clothing allowances and the initial clothing check matched up (I've gotten the initial check for an infant and used it on non-clothing stuff like bottles & toys--but sent those)--but not the regular board rate. The board rate is meant to offset your housing expense increase (water bills, heating bills, electric bills, etc.) and any "extras" that you do with the child (like we had one that went to a fencing class and his county didn't have flex funds to pay for it). So don't feel like it needs to match up.

Keep the receipts for sure, but I would only really be concerned about being sure the clothing allowances matched up.

[MahaLuv2001]

Ok..thanks for the information. I feel much better. The receipts match up and go over the amount because I did spend some of my own money once they approved I was getting a check. I was concerned because I purchased other baby items like toys, diapers, food and etc. like you did not just all clothing. I also received gifts from other people as assistance, so I was concerned about making sure I am not turning in the wrong things. I can bundle up what I have left at my house and take it to the office.

So everytime you get a new placement u have to start from scratch with supplying for the child? Because my case worker kept telling me dont buy much and when the child came at night, I felt that I didnt have suffcient supplies to care for him. Any suggestions on how to be prepared for the next placement? Thanks.

[millie58]

I'm in NY and I've never been asked for receipts. (I'm in LI, right outside NYC). My sister knows someone near Syracuse that was asked to prove she bought things and this was used against her. Not sure how. I'm totally ADHD and have never kept a receipt. I had a baby about 7 years ago and a nurse came once a month. The cw's that came could see I bought the kiddies clothes and toys. I've never heard the "allowance" rule.

[mamala]

Originally Posted by millie58

I'm in NY and I've never been asked for receipts. (I'm in LI, right outside NYC). My sister knows someone near Syracuse that was asked to prove she bought things and this was used against her. Not sure how. I'm totally ADHD and have never kept a receipt. I had a baby about 7 years ago and a nurse came once a month. The cw's that came could see I bought the kiddies clothes and toys. I've never heard the "allowance" rule.

Maybe because you're in NY. In NJ, we have a separate portion of our check that is clearly marked "clothing allowance" and it's a separate sum of money. Likewise, the initial check that comes with a child that is new to foster care in NJ is called (and written in the memo field) "initial clothing allowance".

MahaLuv... I decided to stop keeping stock of clothing in any great quantity because, yeah--they come with funds for clothing and you really should be sending them onward with that clothing. When I decided to take off-hours placements, I kept about 24 hours worth of clothes for the age ranges I was open to (which includes 2 changes of day clothes and pjs for warm and cold weather--usually gender neutral). So I usually had a red, yellow or green t-shirt, navy or gray sweat pants, navy or khaki colored elastic waistband shorts and a sweatshirt or hoodie. Plus 2 sets of pjs for warm and cold weather in each size for the kids I would take (which was pretty much newborn to 5T). In the baby sizes, I really just kept 3 lightweight gender-neutral footed rompers and 2 sleep sacks for up to 12mo age.

Then there's the "gear" (car seat, stroller, crib, etc.) if you're taking babies. Outside of the car seat, you can go out to get the other stuff--ya know?

Bottles are another thing I keep VERY low supply on. I took drug-exposed infants and really, each one responded best to a different type of nipple--so I didn't want to overstock in one only to have to replace the rest. But I did always have 3-4 of the various types (although I built this up as placements came because I had no idea).

I start a new folder on each kid and in it goes the resource parent ID letter, Medicaid info, WIC stuff, Dr. stuff (all of this includes blank forms), Early Intervention stuff, and there's a spot for receipts in the back.

I made the mistake of shredding the kids files after they were gone only to have need for ALL the information about a year after one of them left. So I would hold all that for 2-3 years, but that's just me.

[millie58]

You get a clothing allowance every month?? We get one, when we first get a placement.

[mamala]

Originally Posted by millie58

You get a clothing allowance every month?? We get one, when we first get a placement.

The children get one when they initially come into care that is significantly larger than the monthly amount--because you have to instantly supply them with a wardrobe. The monthly clothing allowance is to keep up their wardrobe/replenish what no longer fits, etc.

But we don't get seasonal clothing amounts (like for winter coats or swimsuits) or start-of-school checks. You have to budget for that stuff and/or use part of your monthly board payment.

[msgypsylee]

Yikes this is the first I'm hearing about receipts and I've been licensed for 3 years. I'm glad no one ever asked me for them because I never kept any.

[NJMama]

Here's my take on why you are being asked for receipts: the placement was short term, and given the age of the baby, I wouldnt be surprised if he grew out of a size while with you. The supervisor was probably hesitant to sign off on another "initial" clothing check for the godmother so soon after he just had an "initial" clothing check with you. So, having the receipts to show that the money really was spent on him, then documenting what he had and what he still needed in the new home will allow them to paper the file appropriately and still give the godmother another allowance. I've been on the receiving end of that situation - I've had kids come to me after a short term placement in another foster home (7 days). That first foster mother got the clothing check, and so they didnt want to give one to me. I'm sorry, maybe I'm picky, but I refused to send that child off to daycare with the clothing the child came to me in. Everything was mismatched, no outfits, sloppy looking, ill-fitting, and not my style. If push came to shove, I would have bought the new clothes since technically the child did have clothing (still with tags mostly) that came with her, but like I said I would never dress a child that way. In the end I did get another check even though the first foster parent got one. They did go back to the first foster mother though and ask her for receipts. I think they are delusional sometimes with what they think $175 will buy, so when they realize that the child has only a few basics they might wonder where all the money went. They are not targeting you or questioning you, but I highly suspect that this is the situation here.

I do not send outgrown clothing with children, even if it was "their" money that bought the clothing. If its still good, I keep it on hand for the next child. Likewise, if the child is going home in the winter, and the clothes she wore in the summer won't fit next year, I dont send them either. I think there is tons of room for how to interpret the appropriate use of the clothing allowance, but I just use common sense. I know that I spend way above and beyond what I get from DYFS and even if they dont go home with everthting that I bought for them, they are going home with more than DYFS "bought" if you will.

[mamala]

Originally Posted by NJMama

I do not send outgrown clothing with children, even if it was "their" money that bought the clothing. If its still good, I keep it on hand for the next child. Likewise, if the child is going home in the winter, and the clothes she wore in the summer won't fit next year, I dont send them either. I think there is tons of room for how to interpret the appropriate use of the clothing allowance, but I just use common sense. I know that I spend way above and beyond what I get from DYFS and even if they dont go home with everthting that I bought for them, they are going home with more than DYFS "bought" if you will.

I was told explicitly by a caseworker and then by my resource worker to send home all the outgrown infant clothing when one of my kids left and they said that actually, this was the policy. When I questioned why I would bother, they said that it was the birthparents prerogative to sell it or to keepsake it (this was an infant--no WAY the stuff would've ever fit again!).

Just to explain why I wrote what I wrote.