DCF: Do you typically need to have a crib already in your house for licensing? (foster-to-adopt)

JWinCT

Hello again! I haven't been around in a while. There was nothing happening for several months, so I took a little break to try to keep my mind off of it. We finally started our class with DCF in November, so we almost halfway through (yah!). We had our first home visit with our SW last week and it was great. I sent her an email this weekend and will see her at next week's class so I'll find out for sure from her, but in the meantime, I thought I'd just ask here to see what the norm has been for others.

We are getting licensed for an age group of 0-4 years old. Do they typically require you to have a crib in your house before you can get licensed? We got rid of our kids' pack-n-play and crib a couple of years ago and we probably wouldn't have been able to use the crib, anyway, because it was a drop-side. If we do need one, I want to start looking for one right away. I know Ikea sells some really inexpensive cribs, and I will check Freecycle and ask my friends. I hate to spend much money on a crib that we may never use, so the sooner I start the search (if necessary) the better.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

lorifromwi

I would check with your licensing worker. 

Where we are at preferred if you had a crib (we bought the Ikea Sundvik, converts into a toddler bed), but a pack n. play would have worked as well.  Not sure if that either would work for a 3-4 year-old. 

CarolinaGirl2014

No clue how that works but I want to share my love for the ikea sniglar. It's $70, I've known several people that love it, and I plan to buy it for my baby. The hippy in me loves that it's 100% beech wood with no dyes/stains. It's also convertible.

JWinCT

Thanks. I already sent an email to our licensing worker and will see her in class next Monday. I was just being impatient and wondering what others have experienced.   (Plus, I'm working today and all my clients have the day off because the all work at banks/credit unions which are mostly closed today, so I'm not going to be very busy and will have time to look online.)

We have a day bed in our extra bedroom as well as a rail that can be attached, so we're all set for a 3-4 year old.

I'll check out that Ikea crib- thanks! 

**roxy**

We  got licensed for an older child, however the list they worked from was the same. It just specified what would apply for infants. From what I could tell, they did want to see the crib at the time of the home inspection. May not be a bad idea to start looking.Good luck!

Chele

In my state they were not expecting me to have a crib, but I already had one (it converts to toddler.) They told me that they typically arrange that for you. 

JWinCT

Thanks, everyone.

I got an email back from our licensing social worker and she said yes, we will need to have the room set up and that includes a crib because of the age range.

I just happened to ask the president of our company (it's a small company) if he happened to still have a crib and he said he wasn't sure if they still have theirs, but he's going to check. He was all excited because they still have a ton of baby gear and furniture that they don't need and he wants to freecycle it all, so he said to come over and take it all. I'm so psyched! I'm so glad I thought to ask him! His youngest goes to the same school my kids do and is in the same grade as my youngest. I don't know why I didn't ask him before... I felt kind of weird about it, even though we're friendly.

Sigh202

Our SW was ok with us saying that we had the means to go out and buy one when we get the call. I don't want to get one now because we have no idea what age the child will be and it would hurt to walk by an empty crib for so long.

4N6s

It may depend on the state, but as far as I know, it wasn't a requirement. It wasn't on my radar since we foster 5-12 though.