Rules with fostering regarding your own childs shots/schooling

[linz2491]

I have always wanted to foster and have been thinking about starting the process soon. My concern is my children don't do vaccinations and are home schooled through a charter school. I do prefer to do babies/toddlers/preschool age since I do worry about the things older children may expose mine to but if I did have a school age child would they allow me to homeschool through a public charter?
While I know they require the foster kids to be vaccinated on schedule, would it be a problem that my kids are not?
also, I help run a dog rescue and do foster dogs, would this be a problem?
Thanks!

[~*~Sunflower~*~]

We homeschool privately & don't immunize & we had no issues getting licensed.

The dog thing I don't know about, just that dogs have to be vaccinated for rabies.

HTH!

[Msheidiann]

Your own kids not being vaxed shouldn't be a problem (though I am not positive). Your kids being homeschooled shouldn't be a problem either. It's very unlikely they would let you do the charter homeschool for a foster since they would probably try to keep the child in his own school for some continuity. As far as the dogs...it will depend on your home study worker/inspector. It may present a problem since dogs could be coming and going, but it may not matter at all. LOL I am no help!! I think calling your county or local agency may be best so you can get some firm answers since each place is different. Good luck! :0)

[luvsviola]

Vaxed not an issue here. Homeschooled not an issue. Foster kids are required to attend public school, and if you are within 30 minutes of their school, you have to take them to their school and pick them up each day so they aren't disrupted there.

[mmbreb]

In Michigan you have to follow the same rules for your child that you have to follow for foster kids. I do believe this includes vaccination. It was a part of our medical statements. It will depend on your state and their rules. The best way to know for sure is to call an agency you are interested in working with and just ask.

[reesie]

In our area (Wa. state) this is a biggie. Foster families are required to immunize their own children and provide proof of boosters (pertussis-whooping cough) of adults in home. Big liability for DSHS if foster child gets sick from a non immunized foster family. We have already had few deaths in our state from Flu., Pertussis.

[ivparker]

Originally Posted by mmbreb In Michigan you have to follow the same rules for your child that you have to follow for foster kids. I do believe this includes vaccination. It was a part of our medical statements. It will depend on your state and their rules. The best way to know for sure is to call an agency you are interested in working with and just ask.

That's not true. I'm in Michigan and they don't care about my own children's vaccinations or if they are homeschooled. The medical form only asked if they were healthy but didn't ask if they were fully vaxed. My kids are homeschooled and we selectively vax. We do have to send foster children to public school and vax them, though.

[~*~Sunflower~*~]

Originally Posted by reesie In our area (Wa. state) this is a biggie. Foster families are required to immunize their own children and provide proof of boosters (pertussis-whooping cough) of adults in home. Big liability for DSHS if foster child gets sick from a non immunized foster family. We have already had few deaths in our state from Flu., Pertussis.

our family actually had whooping cough when we got our first placement - an infant! We told them we had it when they asked us to take him & they totally did not care!!!

[mmbreb]

Originally Posted by ivparker That's not true. I'm in Michigan and they don't care about my own children's vaccinations or if they are homeschooled. The medical form only asked if they were healthy but didn't ask if they were fully vaxed. My kids are homeschooled and we selectively vax. We do have to send foster children to public school and vax them, though.

Maybe this was just our agency than but it was a part of our medical form. Our agency did mention some things are changing in the near future but they are implementing the new rules so they don't have to worry about it later. I dont have any idea if VAX is part of that but weird that there is a discrepancy .

[reesie]

Holy COW as to not caring about Pertussis in the house and still be willing to place an infant. The liability (and frankly the stupidity) of that amazes me. As a pediatric ARNP who has seen infants with whooping cough and the devastation it can bring-WOW.