questions about foster care placements

[Ozzie-#2]

We have maintained a foster care license for about two and a half years now. During that time we sign up routinely to be on call for emergency placements. Yet we watch other foster homes locally filled at or above their licensed capacity while we receive none. We have had a total of two emergency placements, both went well. One was extremely short term (a matter of days) until the teenager when home to his bio family. The other was for a few months and was for small children and was a joy. They are back with bio family too and mom and kids have stayed in touch. We go through our licensing yearly (we maintain a dual license) paying for furnace inspections, water testing and background studies. We maintain our educational requirement at our own time and expense. Absolutely no one will tell me ther is any problem but yet no placements...do I just give this up. Is this common?

[Ozzie-#2]

Today I heard from our licensing contact that they are not sending placements here because one of the rooms that are designated for foster care I use as an office/sewing room and it is currently set up for that function. Of course we have beds and dressers to set this room up as a bedroom but have not done this as it is more useful to us as it is. I contacted our state licensing and of course their are requirements on furnishing when kids are here but they can find no requirements governing what furnishings you have in the room otherwise. Do I challenge this? Do I just shut up and rearrange the room to their liking and lose the use of my own home in "hopes" of a placement?

[pamv]

looks like you started out on the wrong foot with this agencey. They should have tactfully asked how yiou were going to make this rooms more child friendly instead of just not sending children. Think about transferring to a different agencey. Agencies should be repectful not all are keep looking toll you find one that is

[Nanna]

If it was me, I would have had the room set up with the beds when they did the homestudy. I guess they thought you didn't have beds and space:) since they didn't see it. Don't give up, ask them to do another homestudy. This time have the room set up for the child.