Foster Care questions?

[MyBlueLobsters]

We are probably going to begin the process of becoming a foster family after the holiday season is over. I have a few questions for those who are currently foster families (I know I've seen some on here)

 

1.) Is homeschooling an issue? (obviously we can't homeschool the foster children, but homeschooling our own children, is that an issue?)

 

2.) Do you think they would have an issue with us homeschooling our special needs child?

 

 

Our biggest 'fear' at this point is getting a social worker in our home and making our homeschooling an issue, particularly with our little one with Down syndrome. While it isn't illegal, I could see it possibly becoming an issue of 'neglect' if we got the wrong social worker who REALLY felt he needed 'professional' teaching. (For the record, our child is NOT neglected...LOL.) I had our local Children's hospital raising a questioning eye the other day when I took him in and after being asked where he was in school, saying he was at home doing preschool this year. I just don't want to create an issue for us. What do you think?? Feel free to PM me if you want. Thanks!

[Julie in Austin]

We were foster parents (briefly) and homeschooling was absolutely no problem. They were grateful for any family who would foster, and doubly happy that we didn't need a daycare allowance because I was home all day anyway.

 

Remember that someone dealing with babies who are undergoing unspeakable neglect by their moms have bigger fish to fry than your homeschool.

[LibraryLover]

I know hsing is not an issue here. The only two families I know personally who are fostering are also hsers.

[MyBlueLobsters]

Cool, thanks!

[Laurie4b]

You do have to be realistic that fostering does mean making a social worker and the agency a part of your extended family. This doesn't mean homeschooling per se is on the line, but it can be a pain in the butt.

[Pamela H in Texas]

We didn't have any issues regarding homeschooling including homeschooling a special needs child. And btw, though you likely won't homeschool your foster children, it isn't unheard of.

 

Just wanted to add that we went through the process in Louisiana and Texas, if that helps.

[MyBlueLobsters]

You do have to be realistic that fostering does mean making a social worker and the agency a part of your extended family. This doesn't mean homeschooling per se is on the line, but it can be a pain in the butt.

 

Can you elaborate on the "pain in the butt" comment?

[Dobela]

The pain in the butt is the fact that any number of social workers and their multitude of supervisers have constant access to your home. Depending on the foster children you take in and what is involved with them, you could easily have someone at your home, even briefly, almost daily. And naturally, when they come to pick up/deliver/visit the foster kids, they will be taking notice of your home and what is happening in our home. We were also subject to unannounced licensure visits to make certain our home was 'safe'. Most social workers though were beyond happy that we were foster parents and looked beyond daily clutter. The only time I had a worker say anything was when a new worker showed up to check on a child and I had just pulled everything out for a yard sale and the boys bedroom was piled high.

 

On the other hand sometimes, for some kids, as long as I had email updates and contact with the worker regularly and there were not family visitations, we could literally go months without actually seeing a social worker.

 

We had some social workers want to place in our home just because we homeschooled. It meant no changing of daycares (although I did twice ask for a very needy disruptive child to be placed in a special center since I knew the child was not going to be with us forever). As a homeschool mom it also meant that I was available to take the children to any appointment so that the social worker could tend to other children who needed more help. I did have to balance this though because a child coming into the system for the first time was required by law to have a series of appointments the first 3 days (in our state). If I did all of those we would lose 3 days of school.

[Miss Peregrine]

We haven't had anyone say anything negative yet. In fact, with the placement we have now, the SW likes the fact that 5 people are around him all the time as he is severely speech-delayed.

 

He isn't school age yet. We have heard that charter school is an option here for foster kids depending on the SW and the judge. Most of the time, especially if they are long term, living out the family dynamic is better for the kids.

[Dobela]

We haven't had anyone say anything negative yet. In fact, with the placement we have now, the SW likes the fact that 5 people are around him all the time as he is severely speech-delayed.

 

He isn't school age yet. We have heard that charter school is an option here for foster kids depending on the SW and the judge. Most of the time, especially if they are long term, living out the family dynamic is better for the kids.

I absolutely agree. There isn't a better way of learning how a family is supposed to work than being with a working family all the time.

[MyBlueLobsters]

Thank you guys, you are calming my fears. I tend to be irrational sometimes, and you are helping! Thanks!

[Denisemomof4]

I didn't think it was allowed for a foster parent but I can tell you for sure it would be a TREMENDOUS gift to any foster child you bring into your family. I believe the one thing that has helped my adopted dd more than anything else is the fact that we homeschool. I don't think we could have come so far in her healing and bonding if we didn't homeschool. In fact, I'm quite positive.

[Dobela]

Here the foster family can homeschool their own children only. They are not allowed to homeschool the foster children in their care. If the children are school age, they must attend public school. The only times I have seen exceptions are when the foster child is in an adoption placement. Then the families can homeschool the foster child until the adoption is final - with court approval. After an adoption is final of course you can homeschool that chld all you want.

[DawnM]

I wish we could foster and homeschool a foster child. In SC I have read that a hs family can hs their foster child. Here in NC you cannot, or I should say, it is very rare.

 

But, we were looking into fostering at one point and hsing was not an issue at all.

 

Dawn

[kbpaulie]

And if you wanted to "homeschool" the foster child, depending on the state you live in a virtual charter school may be an option. Public school, but it's done at home. So that may be something that may or may not work for you. B/c it's a public school I think there would be little social workers could say to you. B/c it's at home, you'd have a little bit of the oversight and control.

 

k12.com is one regular provider of virtual charter school.

[TravelingChris]

I know homeschooling families that homeschool their foster children or that have foster children that are younger than the homeschooled children. It doesn't seem to be an issue with the ones I have met. One mom I knew in California had the agency love her because by homeschooling the foster kids, she was always getting the kids more academically advanced than the kids who went to school. That was particularly important as the kids almost always came to her behind academically. By working one on one with the kids, she did great work.