Foster Parent Organization Tips

Introduction

• Foster parenting: managing paperwork, case workers, visits, appointments, and the children
• Importance of checklists and templates
• Presenter will share four helpful tools (linked below)

Placement Call Preparation

• Stressful receiving foster care placement calls
  • Example: first call received at work, nervous initially, not prepared with questions
• Recommendation: Sit with family, list critical information needed
• Placement call question list categories:
  • Basic info: age, gender, removal reason
  • School: current school, commute distance
  • Visitation and future plans: relatives, child’s history
  • Specific needs: medical, behaviors, developmental
• Importance of organized questions for informed decisions

Using Caution with Provided Information

• Take information from calls with a grain of salt
• Not all info may be accurate or shareable
• Focus: child’s needs and available services
• Example: asking about child behaviors, potty training, eating habits

Meal Menu Template

• Created a meal menu template on Canva
  • Visuals for common dinners, sides (fruits/vegetables)
  • Essential for children unfamiliar with certain foods or afraid to ask
  • Ensure visual accuracy to the actual plate, useful for neurodivergent children
• Cultural and dietary considerations
• Flexibility to use template for other purposes (e.g., activities, calming strategies)

Contact List Template

• Frustrations with team changes and re-explaining information
• Solution: digital/printed contact list
  • Line by line of important contacts (therapists, school, workers, relatives)
  • Quick facts and child’s schedule, recent exams, diagnoses
• Helps with efficient scheduling and avoids repetitive questioning

Visit Checklist

• Essential items for visit preparation
  • Communication journal, medical equipment, comfort items, crafts, schoolwork, feeding supplies, toys, snacks
• Helpful when in a rush or when others assist with visits
• Example: prevent forgetting critical items (e.g., inhaler)

Conclusion

• Templates and lists save time and help stay organized
• Links to templates available, or create personalized ones on Canva
• Open for specific template requests in comments