Top 10 Questions to Ask When Called to Take a Foster Child
Friday March 14, 2008
I'm currently finishing up a Tuesday night class full of eager foster parents. One of our assignments, I think during meeting 7, is coming up with questions to ask when called to take a foster placement.
When we get the call to take a child, I always make sure to ask a lot of questions - keeping in mind that the placement social worker may not have all the answers. What kind of questions do you ask?
Hi Carrie,
I ask, “How many previous placements has the child had before coming to our home?”
This has been critical for us in understanding their behavior and anticipating their attachment!
Wendy
Thanks for posting this. We got approved the day before yesterday. No calls yet.
1) What is their permanency plan–are they being reunited with parents, etc.?
2) Do parents have visitation, and if so, how frequently, what kind (phone calls, supervised visits, unsupervised visits, etc.)?
3) What are they bringing with them (so we know what we will need to rush out and get right away–diapers, a crib, etc.)?
4) Why were they taken into custody? (Vital–you need to know if they have been or are suspected of being abused, if they’ve been exposed to drugs, etc.)
5) Do they have any significant medical conditions? Along with this, have they had all of their immunizations? This will impact your ability to get them into school, daycare, etc. (Believe it or not, we’ve had kids who had not had any shots.) You need to know if they are on any medications. Have they been checked for lice? The majority of the kids we’ve fostered have been environmental neglect cases, and lice seems to come hand in hand with that. This is not a reason to refuse a placement, but rather enables you to treat them the first night they are in your home so that they can be lice-free sooner.
6) Are they going to have to move to a new school/daycare? It will be your responsibility to go and enroll them, and until they get enrolled, you may have to miss time at work, etc., so you need to know this up front.
7) For older children, especially, do they have any criminal history? History of drug abuse?
9) How to they interact with animals? If you have pets in your home this is a must.
10) Have they ever been in foster care before? When? Are they being moved from another foster home, and if so, why? Most of the time it’s due to a behavioral issue, so like a previous commenter said, it’s vital to know what to expect.
I’m sure there are a million more, but these are the main ones we ask when we get that late-night call!