ADOPTION...selected by agency...?

Question

Wow!! We were just selected to be the adoptive placement for a child through Social Services...We are so very excited!! We will find out more of his background in the next week, but I was just wondering...

He is 1 year old...do the foster parents generally have things like clothing and toys...we are not yet parents to any children, so we don't have any stuff....I know...we will wait until the placement before buying any items...but I was just wondering if you were given any supplies to get started from the foster family. Oh my gosh....I am so very excited...any other helpful info would be GREATLY appreciated!! Thanks!

Answer 1

Usually foster parents like to keep clothing because remember they may have another child coming in right after.

Friends of ours who foster send Seven changes of clothes and ALL personal items and toys. They also keep memento books from when the child was with them...these include pictures....basically anything of significance.

I would ask the social worker if she or you can call the foster parents and get an idea about sizes....likes and dislikes....allergies....anything you think would be relavent.

Congratulations and I wish all of you the best of luck and happiness. :-)   Gosh I am excited for your family!

Answer 2

i just think it would be great if when yall got him home give him a big supper then show him the room(not before) make sure it is clean and wonder full not plne like airplanes and stuff and make him like he is all yours and u are all his(i adopted 7)

Answer 3

First of all Congragulations!!

When we fostered we always sent tons with the kids, but when we received kids from other homes sometimes the stuff stayed, which annoyed me as we are given money to buy them clothes and toys and they should go with the kids.

We have already built a playroom for our three kids and got a puppet theatre adn some generic stuff.  I say buy stuff before slowly but surely then it is not so huge on placement day!

Also, just another note, one nice thing I have heard is adoptive mothers sending the foster parents a thank you gift...they have taken care of your new child and will have a hard time saying goodbye.  

Congrats again!

Answer 4

My Dear sweet, sweet Jane.

First of all, Congratulations again as you’re going to have your hands full with this adorable little bundle of joy.   Now what kind of toys/clothing should you get? Well, when you have the child in you home, you will know what type of clothing you should buy. Now for the toys??  Well, whatever you buy you have to make sure that it won’t fit in their mouth.  Don’t get anything that they can take apart or is very small. Children love to put anything and everything into their mouth. To give you an idea, my grandson has just turned one year old and he is adorable.  If he finds something small enough, he will puts it in his mouth, you have to be careful.   He has all the toys in the world and the only thing that he wants is love,    He loves to be held, chased on the carpet, go for walks, tear up news papers and to play in a cardboard box.  The only other thing he likes is, for you to read to him and let him turn the pages.  

The only thing I would suggest is a small push cart, so as he/she can learn how to walk. This is going to be a very special time for you and your husband, once the child gets to know you.  That bond of love between you and the child  is sealed forever.

Answer 5

I have no answer for you because I myself am waiting for that same call, but I am SO FRIKIN EXCITED for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm jumping up and down, screaming, crying (ok, I'm just pretending, but if I weren't at work, I would be!!!)!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!  And good luck!

ETA:  Opedial, what an absolutely fabuloso idea!!!  LOVE IT!

And, Jane, I just want to grab you and hug you and SCREAM and jump up and down!!!!!!!!  Geez...you'd think I DID get that call!  LOL

Answer 6

Samone covered almost everything.  Isn't she awesome.  The only thing i can think to add  are toys.  At that age they like anything that is loud, lighty, blinky, music like toys, stacking toys are a good thing too.  Good Luck with all the shopping!  How fun.  Congrats on your little boy:)

Answer 7

I don't really know how a domestic foster placement to adoptive home placement transition occurs, so I don't have any advice for you, but I wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!  

I do have experience with the emotional transition of an older baby.  My daughter was an international adoption, quite a different process, but went from a foster family to us at 9 months old.  The first week was quite intense grieving - crying, refusing to eat, no bowel movement, etc.  I knew intellectually that it was normal and would probably happen, but it was harder than I expected to actually experience.  You feel quite helpless at first when you are not the one who can do anything to comfort your child.  All children react differently. Just hang in there and know that it does get a lot easier.  

So, when will he be placed with you?  Will it be a gradual transition?  Anyway, again, a very big congratulations to you, Mommy!

Answer 8

Congratulations!   The foster parents will probably give you his personal belongings - some clothing and toys.  But if they are continuing to be foster parents to young children and babies, they will probably keep things like crib, car seat, etc.  

I suspect that your friends and family will give you a shower once the placement is final and official, and you'll get LOTS of wonderful things for your little boy.

In the meantime, see what you can borrow from friends, cousins, etc. who have babies themselves, who have outgrown some of their stuff.

So happy for you!

Answer 9

First off Congrats.

Now, foster parents gernerally want to keep what they might be using for the next foster child that comes through their doors. Often the children arrive on their door step with nothing but the clothes on their back's, for them to go out & buy new stuff for every child is simply unrealistic especially with what a foster parent gets paid for a child.

You need to start asking questions as to size's so that you can go out & get ready for your little one's arrival.

Generally a 1 yr old boy would be in 12-18 mos size clothes. And about a size 4-5 for diapers. A bag will last you about a week.

Don't forget you'll need a toddler sized car seat for your little one (forward facing 20-40 lbs). Car seats are better bought new, if buying second hand, look for the date stamped in the underside to be sure it's not more than 5 yrs old.

At 1, I would expect that the child is probably eating table food rather than jarred, but he might still be using bottles.

If you wait until the placement, you'll be running around with your heads cut off trying to get everything in place. Your also going to need a crib (set in the low position) baby gates for stairs, and all that fun stuff.

Here, at least the stores are selling out all of the winter fashions at clearance to make way for the new spring arrivals.

Best of luck !!

ETA: Personally (and this is just my opinion) I don't like the 5 point harness system. Yes they are very safe, but they're a pain in the butt for the part between the legs and always re adjusting to accomadate their clothing (snowsuits etc)

Answer 10

Yes, the foster parents will have things that belong to him and will send them, by that I mean clothing that was bought for him with money fo the state.  I'd get some diapers and such.

Toys, you'll need to get, furniture, you'll need to get and a carseat!  Depending on his weight, I recommend a the Elite booster...it goes up to 65 pounds in a 5 point harness...NEVER buy a used car seat!

I'd wait for the placement to begin buying things.....just to be safe.

Just be ready for some challenges...he is one year old and you are strangers right now...he'll get through it, but just have lots and lots of patience.

Did they say anything about special needs or anything?

CONGRATS!

Answer 11

When we got our "first" set of foster children, they came with everything...but they came from a previous foster home.  When we got our 7 month old (at that time) he showed up with a coat (body suit) over a diaper and that was it. We had no idea on formula / allergies / etc...we basically got his name and that he was a boy...that's all we got.  Our case worker did give us a one time only stipened check to go and get all of the things that he needed - formual / some clothes etc...after he was settled in, his mom would literately not stop sending over things...if he couldn't use them, we just bagged them up and sent them back over time.