[lylyc]

Hi i was wondering if anyone has done emergency placements? If i could get some info on how that is.

[fostermommy]

Hi,
We have not actually done emergency placements yet. We have been looking into changing our license to become an "assessment home" rather than general foster care. But the requirements are that a parent must always be at home - no day care. So, we need to make some more family adjustments before we can do it - but that is in the plans. I have spoken with social workers as well as foster parents who do assessment home care and have learned the following:
The children can be brought to your home at any time of the day or night, and on any holiday. You can request for some vacation time to be set aside to avoid certain family getaways - but it does pretty much limit your spontanaiety. Often the children will come dirty, hungry, and with nothing more than a dirty diaper. They will usually have been checked over by a health care professional before being brought to your home, but often require a return visit to the health center for followup. Sometimes they will have a communicable illness, lice, etc. If they are older, they will probably require assessment by a psychologist. There will be initially frequent visits by social workers and medical appointments. There will be court hearings which you may not be required to attend. Visits with birth parents will often be established right away.

Don't know if this answers your questions.

[lylyc]

No, But thank you for the new information. I never heard of that kind of licensing. Good luck in the decision you make. Thanks again

[Samual]

You can choose the type of emergency placements you receive, if you say yes to any a lot of the time it is children that have literally been taken into care that day, so it can be either very stressful and scary for them, or a relief. You can choose, so you can yes or no certain types of abuse and neglect.

Or it can be if a foster home has to be closed, if a foster parent is accused of abuse, arrested etc then all of those foster children need somewhere to go.
Then there is also temporary emergency placement, if a parent is ill and there are no other relatives to look after the children until the parent is out of hospital and capable of looking after his/her children on their own.

You can choose which ones you are capable with and which age group, but sometimes if it is a sibling group and one is older or younger than what you have stated, it is likely they will still be placed with you as it is difficult to find somewhere with enough bedrooms so everyone stays together. Within reason obviously, if you choose 5-10, they wont place a sibling group with you with a 1 year old, or a 15 year old.

Obviously one of you has to be at home all the time, for a while my partner, who is a social worker was put on emergency placement, so he stayed home to look after emergency placement children and had to page social services when he nipped out or took them to school so they knew he wouldn't be home to accept another child or for a child to be moved from us to somewhere else.

We only had two extra bedrooms, so as we could only have two foster children in the house a time, it was not a mad house and fairly easy to handle as there were two children and two of us.

[lylyc]

I really think that depends on where you are and who the workers are? because i know 3 foster parents that have a two bedroom townhouse one for them and the other one for the kids. That there are 5 kids in that room. I think that's not right. That's too many children in one room. Right know i have two homestudies scheduled for friday. I'll see what my worker will tell. Thank you so much for your info.

[fostermom]

I have done three emergency placements and two of the girls stayed with me and still live with me to this day. It can be hard work but well worth it,if your heart is in it. I love the work I do...my house is a mad house. I am a single mom with 4 girls and have one more opening I plan to fill soon. I like doing emergency care I find it rewarding.

[lylyc]

When you say emergency placements. Do you mean that you got them during night hours? What i mean is that when you get license theres different kinds.Like respite care or just foster care etc or does everyone get licesened for the same thing?

[Samual]

You become licensed, for what you want to do, if you just want to respite foster, you just respite foster. Do you currently have a social worker you are dealing with? Even if your decision is not totally made up it is worth talking to one as they can explaining all procedures in your local care authority.

[lylyc]

I spoke to my worker and asked her questions she kind of explained the types of licensing. But what im really confused on is on hotline emergency placements? She said she would talk to me later when she does her final homestudy but that's something im interested in doing but need more info.

[PrettyInPinkx4]

Originally Posted by lylyc

Hi i was wondering if anyone has done emergency placements? If i could get some info on how that is.

I have had emergency placements. Its a VERY interesting process. You will get a call at whatever time they need you... the child arrives, you fill in paperwork and there you go.

In our state there is a hearing in 72 hours to determine where the child will go. If their are relatives, or they deem other than them staying at YOUR home necessary they will move them (this is usually the ONLY time I get a call after court, if I don't get call then I assume they're staying).

Most foster kids, in my experience, come from "emergency" situations.