Other foster families what have you done re: setting up a room that might not be used for a long...

[Momma Aimee]

Other foster families what have you done re: setting up a room that might not be used for a long time

 

We will be moving in to a house in March and applying to foster (and adopt).

 

It is a 3 bedroom; so no problem us in one, boys in one and one open for foster care.

 

My question is this:  did you  have a fully set up bedroom for your foster child/ren that just sat empty until you had a placement.  I understand we doing training and then waiting for a placement, we may be waiting a while.  Or did you make / the foster children’s room as a guest room?  Or 

 

Well just how did you do it.  It feels kinda funny thinking we’d set up a little bedroom that would then just sit empty for who knows how long?  

 

I assume maybe they cover this in training, maybe nopt – just looking for thoughts on the matter

[marsupial-mom]

Do you need that room for something else? If not, then just set it up as a room for the foster child.

If I were you I would probably just make it a playroom whenever it's not a room for a foster child. Or I might set it up as a guest room because that would be an easy dual-purpose thing.

[Momma Aimee]

ideally I'd like us to be in the bedroom next to the boys and the 3rd (other side of the living room) be "empty / foster / guest" untill we got a placement -- then we'd move to the far bedroom (again, just across the living room).  the 3rd room doesn't have a closet.  i got the house check list from the recruiment worker and if says stuff about space and bed and dresser space and space for their stuff but it doesn't say they have to have a claset.

i am wondering if we can pass homestudy with that 3rd room set up as the foster kid's room.  but then when we get a placement move rooms so the foster child has a room that look just like the biological boys (i don ot want the 'second best" apperace of being in the add0on bedroom that is paneled and not painted a cool color and where ther eis no closet.

[rs11]

Here, we have to have the room set up before being certified, but that doesn't have to happen until the second inspection, which is after all the classes and training. We have the room set up with the basics (crib and bunk beds) and a couple of other things we've picked up here and there, but we'll get the rest when we know we're getting a placement and ages, genders, and so forth.

As far as it not being used, we're just keeping the door shut for now. Because the bunk beds are twin/full, we can also use it as a guest room if we have family or friends come to visit before we get placed.

[PoorUglyHappy]

We have empty rooms waiting.   One with a queen bed that serves as a guest room and another as the nursery where I have two cribs set up.   I guess I could take down the cribs while we are waiting on our home study to finish but I have nowhere to store them anyway. Our house is SMALL.   I had thought that the two bedrooms, one with a bed, one with a crib, would be enough for the inspection but they made me get two cribs as well since we want a sibling group.   

[christophersmom]

We bought our current home in May 2009, it's 4 beds, 3 baths, and a large bonus. We were lcensed in October 2009. So the room was set up with a full bed and dresser and not much else in preparation for foster/adoption. We put it to use in Jan. 2010 and it's been her room ever since.
 

[2mommas]

We have a 2 bedroom + office apartment. The office has same dimensions as 2nd bedroom but in place of the closet there are built in bookshelves. Our worker in Indiana allowed the room to be counted as a bedroom even w/o an official closet because we could install a clothes rod and hang a curtain for the closet door. When we moved in, we already had coming to live with us soon a 16 y/o female. We made the office into an art/activity/guest room. It might have been better to set it up as simply a guest/kid room w/o the extra stuff, but we had no idea when we'd get more kids or what sex they would be. Now the 2.5 y/o is in there... so my art stuff is in our room, most of the shelves are kid friendly objects, and we have a large dresser. We will leave it this way for now as he doesnt really require hang-up clothes!

[MamaRhi]

We're going to move to a bigger house before we get too far into the licensing process, but I've already begun planning this out. I think I will put a twin bed and a crib in the room along with just generally setting it up as a children's room with books and toys and a nice energy to it. Plus I'll set the closet up to have storage of extra clothes, diapers and other supplies that might be needed for a kid who shows up with nothing.

We're likely to take in a specific teenager first, though, so I also have a particular kid in mind. If we find a large enough house, one room will be dedicated to him, while we'd like to have an open room for younger foster kids as well. Plus each of my bio kids will have their own rooms. Since I'm not entirely sure he'll be placed with us or how long he will stay, I am also staying open to not having a set plan. Still not totally sure how I can have a room that is potentially for anyone from birth to age 15, but a large closet or good storage may be they way to do it. That way things can be taken out or put away based on current needs.

I'm guessing as a placement becomes longer term or permanent, the room evolves with the kid naturally, just as it would with a bio kid.

I feel sometimes like I am overplanning a bit as I am waiting for things to fall into place for this process...

[2mommas]

We also found it helpful instead of investing in a crib, a pakNplay does well and folds out of sight. We also had bunk beds that broke down into 2 twin and have even just stored the other twin for a while. In our experience, even with emergency/ respite foster placements, the kids may not have a variety or what u THINK they should have- bit they'll b ok ... and the caseworkers (here) usually have access to a few extras to tide u over.

[christophersmom]

A pack and play would not be allowed in my county as a perm sleeping arrangement. Funny that we did have my adopted daughter (15 months at time) sleep in a PNP for one week while we kept an 11 month old as respite for a week and he was in her crib.

But our worker knew we'd buy or borrow whatever we needed immediately upon receiving word of a placement.