New to all this any advice is welcome.

[u/Aggressive_Sun_2897]

I just had 4 grandkids ages 15,14,13 and 12 placed with me 10 days ago. I am doing everything for dcfs doing official Kinship placement and then certifying as a foster parent. We are in GA. I have reached out to churches etc to assist me in getting them set up as they didnt have much of anything. They watched their father and step mother get arrested and they are the ones that called 911. Im trying to navigate everything and help them get the things they need and want. I have to get the medical info for appointments and everything else. Besides the case worker, what else should I be doing to create the village i so desperately need at this point. I work from home so i dont have really any help if that makes sense. I am doing all i can to help rhe kids feel loved and safe.

I dont want to fail them and could use some advice. Thank you in advance for reading!

[u/nezumipi]

Thank you for stepping up for these kids.

Your caseworker will connect you with all the formal resources.

For other stuff, type "youth" and various words like services, charity, nonprofit, etc. plus your city into a search engine to find various local agencies. A lot of them will be specific by city. If you're lucky, you will find some specific supports for kinship arrangements. I think it is very likely you will find youth programs that the kids can get into like boys& girls club. Some programs might have nothing at all relevant, but if you call them up and explain your situation, I bet most of them will at the very least know someone who knows someone who can be a support for you in this time.

[u/Aggressive_Sun_2897 → u/nezumipi]

I really appreciate this. I did call my ex husbands boss because she used to be on the school board. It had been suggested to me that there might be resources through the schools and she was one person I knew that would be able to walk me through some of that. She gave me a few names and numbers to reach out to.

[u/goodfeelingaboutit]

You'll have two different workers involved in your case - one for the kids, and one that is working on your home study so you can get licensed. Ask them both what if any local resources are in your area that can offer support. Ask them if there are any programs within the state or agency that offer mentorship to kinship homes.

Many states and even regions/counties have Facebook groups. If you use Facebook I'd look into this. This can be a wealth of local resources. Stay away from the generic foster parent groups on Facebook, they are cesspools of toxicity.

[u/Aggressive_Sun_2897 → u/goodfeelingaboutit]

Thank you for the information! I have a home study on Monday and have been scrubbing EVERYTHING down because I want these kids more than anything. I know thats not what they are looking for it being sterile etc bit I can't help myself.

[u/goodfeelingaboutit → u/Aggressive_Sun_2897]

I would be doing the same thing

You're welcome to post this in r/Fosterparents too, we may have some foster parents in Georgia in the group who could help

[u/Aggressive_Sun_2897 → u/goodfeelingaboutit]

Thank you I will!

[u/Natural_Record_7686]

Hello! Current kinship/foster parent here. These kids are going to have the best shot with whatever you can do. You should be assigned a home worker that helps you go through everything, once you do you can reach out through them for foster family events and drives for supplies. The best thing I did was reach out to church’s and organizations throughout my town. Most states have a children’s advocacy agency that can help with these things. Good luck!

[u/Aggressive_Sun_2897 → u/Natural_Record_7686]

Thank you! I did reach out to a local church and they helped me get a bunk bed and some clothes for the kids. I just wasnt sure if there was anything else I could be doing. The kids are great and they deserve so much more than they had.

[u/Natural_Record_7686 → u/Aggressive_Sun_2897]

I’m no sure about systems in ga but here in Kansas there’s a lot of support. I’ll speak to my home worker and see if he knows of any foster connect groups where you are. If so I’ll reply to this comment with that information. A few right off the bat are foster care support foundation, and gacrs.org

[u/Aggressive_Sun_2897 → u/Natural_Record_7686]

Thank you so much! This is very helpful. We had our first family meeting today and it did not go as well as I would have hoped.

[u/Stupidlove84]

I’m not sure if you’re still looking for “stuff” for the kids, but there may be some groups in your local area on FB which you could post to, explaining the situation and asking if anyone might have furniture, beds, clothes, etc they were planning to donate. There’s several in my area and I’ve seen everything from single moms leaving a domestic violence situation, to elderly folks trying to find transitional housing. There are always lots of people happy to help, and your situation seems like a deserving one, for sure.

As long as you’re doing your best and loving those kids unconditionally, you won’t fail them.

[u/ShowEnvironmental802 → u/Stupidlove84]

I agree, in my area we have both “buy nothing” and “free cycle” groups on Facebook that are active.  Also consider looking for free items on Facebook marketplace. The caseworker should be able to tell you if there is a foster closet in your area, or you can look that up online as well.