The big difference between preparing to bring a baby home from the hospital and preparing for a foster placement is that you know what age and usually gender the baby is. With a foster placement you have no idea until they show at your doorstep.
How do you prepare for that?
After we got our foster license, we told our child placing agency that we wanted a child between four and 10 years-old. So we got the bedroom ready for that age with two twin beds and age appropriate toys.
We accepted our first, and only so far, foster placement—an eight-month-old baby boy.
No matter how hard you try, you won’t have everything you need when a child or children are placed in your home. However, you can make sure that you have some basic items on hand. That is the purpose of this list. If you are a veteran foster parent, please chime in with your suggestions in the comment section!
Of course you can go out and spend hundreds of dollars getting all these items. And some things you will want to purchase, but I recommend sending out a message to your network of friends asking them to come alongside you and supply many of these items.
Keep in mind that you won’t know the gender of the child until they show up. Keep your stuff gender neutral as possible.
Also, if any of these items can become the child’s, like a blanket or hygiene item, let them know it is theirs to own.
Helpful Items List
Car Seat. Get a car seat that can adjust to the age and size of the child like this one below.
Personal Hygiene Items. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, body wash, shampoo.
Twin Beds. Twin beds will work for young children up to teenagers and gives you more room to put two beds in one room.
Mattress Protector. Anytime you have traumatized children staying in your home, it is a good idea to protect your mattresses regardless of the age of the child.
Portable Crib. This is one of those items that I would put word out to see if you can borrow one, or if someone has one to donate. But if not, this is one you can get for a decent price.
Pack and Play. Because we weren’t prepared for a baby, all we had was a Pack and Play for a few weeks. These are also convenient for travel.
Diapers size for 16-28 lbs. (Different brands size them differently but either size 2 or 3). You don’t want to try stocking for every size, but this size can work temporarily until you can make a run to the store for the perfect size.
Pull-ups for older kids. I would not assume that older kids will not have accidents. This helps save embarrassment and extra laundry.
Baby Formula. When you get a placement of a baby in the middle of the night, you will be thankful you have some baby formula on hand.
Simple Entertainment. Kids movies. Coloring books. Building blocks.
Comfort Items. Blanket or stuffed animal is easy to hold and snuggle. Regardless of age a traumatized child will often find comfort in an item like this.
Sensory Items. Chew toys. Fidgets. Lycra wraps or hammocks.
Childproof Cabinet Locks. I prefer the magnetic locks that you can also set to remain unlocked. This makes it easy for when you don’t have a placement or have only older children in the house.
Nightlights. Provide good lighting for a child sleeping in a new, strange home. I recommend a light that has a dusk-to-dawn sensor.
Items for Older Kids and Required Organization
Weighted Blanket. A weighted blanket will often help an older child calm down. You can find ways online to make these, but if you prefer to just buy one, you can find many high quality blankets in various weights online like this one:
Visual Timer. When a kids world turns upside down, one of the hardest things can be the small transitions. This visual timer can help them know when the next thing is coming or when they need to be ready go to the next thing.
Medication Lock Box. State requires you to keep your medications in a locked location. Some need to be kept behind a double locked location as in a locked box within a locked cabinet.
Binders. Paperwork can do a foster parent in, so you have to stay on top of it. Getting organized from the start helps. Have binders, labels, and other organizational tools on hand before your placement shows up.
Required Items for All Foster Homes
Smoke Detectors. Depends on your agency whether you need a smoke detector in every bedroom, but I recommend it.
Fire Extinguisher. Check with your state requirements on what size you need.
First Aid Kit. Make the First Aid Kit easily accessible for all family members.
Carbon Monoxide Detector. More state agencies are requiring a Carbon Monoxide Detector in Foster Homes. Might as well get ahead o the curve.
Okay current and veteran families, what would you add to this list? Please comment below and help new foster families get off to a great start.
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