Random Question

olson2903

We have our 3rd and final home study meeting on Monday morning at 8am. This meeting will be taking place in our home (the first 2 were in their office). I was going to clean extra good, and that's about it. We both work afterwards, so it was going to be short and sweet. We went to a required networking meeting tonight, and the speaker mentioned at her in-home meeting she had made brunch... Now I feel like I may need to step up my game.

Did you specifically provide food and beverages for your in-home meeting? If so, what did you provide? Of course I would have offered a beverage, but now I am wondering if I should be providing food too.

Thanks for your input

bumpuser794640

Our SW wouldn't even accept a glass of water - they don't want to take the chance anything you offer could be seen as a bribe to get approved. I would have coffee available just in case, but not food.

Lacyj67

Just water and ended up pulling out some carrots and hummus and crackers after she got here cuz we were both hungry! Keep it simple if you do anything!!!

Dr.Loretta

We had snacks to offer, but she didn't eat/drink anything. She was only there 45 minutes.

lorifromwi

Our SW wouldn't even take a glass of water and would usually have her own bottle of water.  Remember, they are trying to find good homes for kiddos and are looking for reasons to approve you. 

CaptainSerious

Like the others, our worker hasn't accepted so much as a glad of water from us in the 6 years we've been working with her. I have heard of some sws accepting light snacks, but that was not our experience.

avioletsky

We never offered anything. One night we had dinner on and offered if they wanted, but it was never expected. She declined anyway. 

CeCe8579

We will but our current SW is very laid back and really nice. My individual interview lasted 3 hours because we went off on tangents completely non related to the interview.

mysticl

I used to do foster home visits.  I was not permitted to accept any food or drink because it could be perceived as a bribe.  A family may feel that I should fast track their application because they fed me.  Another issue was that other families who were in the middle of the process could find out that one family fed me and assume that was the reason that family got approved before them even though it wasn't.  

maryoosa

We had a spread out- we typically do for anyone who comes over and she ate and drank as she wanted to. We did that during the homestudy (she came for one 9 hour day) and then for the 3 post-placements visits required.

annalisel

How did it go on Monday?

Add us to the list where the SW accepted only water.

lorifromwi

I actually asked our SW about this when she was at our house last week, and in Wisconsin there are no laws preventing SW from accepting hospitality, however there are unwritten rules within the SW community that say you just don't do that.  She then told us a story of one of her colleagues who was offered beverages everytime she visited and would accept a soda.  When things didn't go according to the prospective parents expectations, they called her superior complaining and saying that she just came over and drank all their pop.  I guess it's just a self preservation tactic in case people think they can use it as leverage against the SW.

mysticl

lorifromwi said:

I actually asked our SW about this when she was at our house last week, and in Wisconsin there are no laws preventing SW from accepting hospitality, however there are unwritten rules within the SW community that say you just don't do that.  She then told us a story of one of her colleagues who was offered beverages everytime she visited and would accept a soda.  When things didn't go according to the prospective parents expectations, they called her superior complaining and saying that she just came over and drank all their pop.  I guess it's just a self preservation tactic in case people think they can use it as leverage against the SW.

It wasn't a state law for me. It was agency policy. We had some instances of lines being blurred that could have ended very badly.  After that the powers that be got very specific about what we could and could not do/accept. 

As to the second bold. Yeah, that is the concern. I never had that happen but I can totally see how it could.  

mysticl

Spooko said:

Come to think of it, I didn't even offer anything. SW usually had her coffee cup with her or a water bottle or whatever, and even then I can't recall ever seeing her use it.

My supervisor used that as a tactic to politely turn down drink offers.  I would say that I just finished my tea in the car.