From Carrie Craft,
Your Guide to Adoption / Foster Care.
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For the Enrollment of a Foster and/or Adopted Children Bring

• The child's immunization record.
• The child's past school's name and address. This allows the new school to obtain the child's past school records.
• Child's Social Security Number - if possible.
• Dr’s name and address and phone number.
• Your friend's or family's information for emergency contacts
• Social worker's name and number - if the adoption is not yet final.
• Your Checkbook - for enrollment costs, lab, art, and other fees.

For the Enrollment of Foster Children Only - Bring All of the Above Plus

• Birth parent's information (if you have it). Under “Mother and Father” on the enrollment form enter in the child's birth family information, minus the phone number, as you don't want to give out information without speaking to the social worker on the case first. Write in your name under “who the child resides with”. Most forms will have separate areas like this for foster, kinship, or other guardian arrangements. If not write your name and basic information under "Mother and Father" and write in the word "foster" before "Mother and Father".

• Social worker's name and number. For emergency contact information always fill in the social worker, as well as your family or friends. Also, designate the social worker as someone who can pick the child up from school.

• Free and reduced lunches and textbooks form. Foster children always get lunches and textbooks for free. You may have to pay for other things like lab or art fees, so be prepared to write a check for the extras.

Back to: 10 Things to Do Before Sending a Foster or Adopted Child Back-to-School