What age range do you suggest for first time foster parents ...

Two schools of thought on ages. One is that you offer to take 0-3 because they are young and therefore easier to deal with. Sometimes that is true because caring for a baby can be easy compared to caring for a toddler who needs attention 24/7 and may come with no idea of how to do anything at all. Some foster kids have had no structure and have lived in a home where they do as they please. The other side offers you kids around 4 -10, and they go to school every day.That can make the day part of it easier because you are not required to do all the at home things.

I have had both and finally decided that for us(we're late 40's early 50's) teens were the easiest. I like the idea of babies, but every little one I have had came with some serious issues that took about 6 months to work out.This isn't including new borns, just the one yr olds and over. I found the hardest part of dealing with the under 4's was that for the most part they were developmentally extremely far behind what we expect for a child in that age range. Many were not potty trained, had little to no vocabulary, no social skills and were lacking in gross and fine motor skills.The lack of communication tops the list. A frustrated toddler can scream or tantrum in a big way(like you've never seen before) because that is all they know. Along with the developmental issues comes the need for therapies to bring them up to their chronological age, so that involved having therpist in our home or taking a child out to something at least once a week. I personally enjoyed working with the toddlers and seeing them progress.

Children over 4 or 5 tend to have better communication, unless they have other medical issues, and I found them so much easier to parent. Having a routine of school really helps the kids because it is the one thing that tends to remain a constant in their lives even if they go to a new school once they come into foster care. They need a routine and structure and something they know. Of course, older kids can come with an entirely new set of issues depending on the circumstances of their removal. If they have been in care before or moved around from house to house, they can have issues that spring from a lack of attachment(RAD).

I would say to avoid taking a child that has had multiple placements. This is a big red flag for problems even if the case worker(CW)tells you the child doesn't have any. Sometimes they will say anything(or stick their heads in the sand and deny issues) in order to get a child placed or moved. Stay away from kids with medical issues at the beginning. The learning curve is steep at the start, so I think it's a good idea to take only the type fokids you are prepared for. Good luck.

Source: http://forums.adoption.com/foster-parent-support/405542-what-age-range-do-you-suggest-first-time-foster-parents.html

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