Child Proofing? Homestudy?

Oh me oh my...â™¥

*Locks on all cupboards
*Knifes put away in a place away from children
*All meds locked up
*Guns locked in a gun case with ammunition in a separate locked unit
*Outlet covers on all outlets
*smoke detectors
*stairs secured with a child safety gate
*Chemicals locked up
*alcohol has to be locked up
*all pets have to have proper shots etc.
*any rooms on second floor have to have a fire escape

They will want an escape plan.
A pool safety plan if it applies
A trampoline safety plan if it applies

Words of Wisdom

you need a fire extinguisher, smoke detectiors and first aid kit...other than that ...I dont know..but good luck.

Cat Meow

Get safety plugs for your outlets that aren't in use, get guards for sharp edges like coffee table or wall edges, if you have glass like vases or crystal, have a place to store them if you are asked to put them away ... secure shelves and get baby gates for stairs and the kitchen and window locks.

shecannu

how old will the kids be that you will foster, If they are able to pull themselves up and get around some, you should, buy the plug covers, get the cabinet hooks and tape any corners on edges of things they might be able to get hurt on...get the gates from room to room travel stopping also...

GEE-GEE

Make sure you have all your medicine in a locked tackle box up high. All your plugs should have the baby proofing safety caps on them. All your cleaners and chemicals should be located up high and out of babies reach. If you have stairs get a baby gate. If you have a pool you need to have a fence around the pool. They will even check the temperature of your hot water when it comes out of the faucet so you may want to lower the temp on your water heater. And last thing is just make sure your home is clean.

naenae

I know in Australia to do family day care, your not allowed verticle blinds, maybe its the same for foster care?

Dream_Weaver

I'm in Ohio, but the rules may be close to the same. We needed locks on all the cabinets with cleaning supplies or harmful things (knifes) and also needed a separate locked box for all our medicine. We picked up and A10BC fire extinguisher. Another thing is safety gates. We needed one to put in the hallway leading to our loft office and another one that we could move from the top of the stairs to the bottom. They also wanted to look at our bunk beds, crib, and car seat to make sure they were good. You should also need a fire inspection and emergency numbers near the phone.

During the homestudy they did look at stuff in our house, but mostly just asked questions about our lives and parenting skills. If you have been to the foster parenting classes they should go through all of this with you. If not, you can always ask your case worker.

Oh, and outlet covers. You can buy kits that have everything you need in them.

SagaSue

We had an open staircase that had to be rebuilt before we could be approved. Just try to think about any structures that may be dangerous if a child is crawling or walking. Pay attention to the garden too. The authorities don't like ponds or water with open access.

aloha.girl59

In addition to the things already mentioned, put your cleaning supplies up high or in a locked cabinet. Lock all medications away (even over-the-counter stuff) in a box under the sink. If there is a body of water on your property (pool, spa, pond, fountain, etc.), you will have to have an alarm on your front door to alert you in case one of the children opens the door.

Don't worry. When the social worker comes to visit, s/he will tell you what you need to do if you've missed anything. They will re-inspect your home again if necessary.

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