Baby equipment

[PoppyRose21]

After what seems like a long assessment process we're going to Panel on Tuesday hoping to be approved for one child aged 0 - 5. Obviously right now we're a mixture of nervous and excited. Lots of our questions have been answered (some by reading other threads on here) but I'd like to ask for some advice about baby equipment. So far although we've decorated a bedroom we haven't yet bought anything specific before being approved, but even after Tuesday if all goes well what could we/ should we buy before knowing the details of the specific child? After all if it's a four year old we might not even need a pushchair let alone a cot, but if the child is a newborn we'll need all sorts - Moses basket/ steriliser/ bottles etc etc. My own kids are all teenagers now and we don't currently have anything left from their baby days.
Any advice about any aspect of being a new foster carer welcomed!

[wonderpants]

All ours is provided by social services. They really didn't want us to get our own and certainly not use anything second hand. We basically got a very big delivery of equipment when we agreed to take a placement. They had it all under control!
Ask your ssw what their arrangements are!

[wonderpants]

PS good luck! Welcome to the roller coaster! Assessment is the easy bit

[PoppyRose21]

Thanks for your good wishes! We've already been told that our SS dept don't give out equipment any more. They give you a start up grant instead. so it's not coming out of my pocket, but it is still me who has to make the decisions and the trips to Argos/ Mothercare etc.

[Artandco]

Get a cot bed. They last on average 0-4/5 years depending on child's size. Our 4 year old still has plenty on room. So for small baby you can have set up as cot on high level, older baby on low level with the sides like cot still, then take the sides off and convert for older toddler/ small child. They are bigger than regular cots

[Artandco]

Oh and John Lewis sell good cot beds for £99

[wonderpants]

A grant is better in many ways, we get crappy stuff that is over-priced from a local independent shop.

Do you get the grant when the child is accepted as surely you will need different things depending on the needs of the child?

[wonderpants]

Look at ikea, kiddicare, babies r us for cheaper stuff! But if you are thinking of it being used for many kids, it might be worth investing in high quality!

[scarlet5tyger]

My LA don't provide equipment OR money for equipment so I say sod it to "no second hand"! I wouldn't survive without eBay - have got some great deals on prams and toys from there. Also free websites for stair gates, books, things that kids grow out of quickly but take up room (bouncers, ride on toys)

As for your actual query, I'd have a couple of bottles in (you can always sterilise them in a pan), a few cartons of formula in different brands (the ready mixed stuff not a whole tin), a couple of soft toys, a few books, and a bed - in my LA you wouldn't be approved if you didn't have a bed already in the room. I have a cot bed and it states its for 0-5, but my 8 year old niece has slept quite comfortably in it too!

Don't panic too much - supermarkets are open 24 hours and sell all the essential things you'll need.

[sittingatmydeskagain]

My friend is a foster carer. She has the bedroom ready with a cotbed, chest of drawers and a couple of boxes of toys. A high chair, moses basket and pushchair in the loft. A steriliser and couple of bottles and cartons of formula.

Other than that, she just buys stuff when needed. Her last placement, she had about 2 hours notice, but still enough time to lop to the supermarket for clothes.

The placement before, she had about 5 days notice before baby was born.