The arrival of a new foster child to your home and family can be overwhelming. You will experience this after you are done with the procedure of adopting a child in Georgia. Everything would have gone by smoothly with the help of an adoption attorney, and now the big day has finally arrived! The foster child is coming to the new home. You might get the call only a short time before the child's arrival, due to which you may have to rush things to get the family members, house, and yourself prepared on time.
In such a short time, you’re afraid you might not be able to get everything straight and prepared. You may feel stressed and sick to the stomach, but don’t worry when you will finally meet your adopted child and welcome them to their home. All of these feelings will go away. You shall meet them like you have set all the worries of the world aside and meet them with a big smile by getting down on their level and extending your hand for a shake. You may even go for a hug if they come in for it.
While you may have planned everything in your head when you get done with the adopting a child in Georgia procedure in the first place, you might not be able to get everything straight when you have less time to prepare for it. Especially on that day, you have so much on your mind that it is common to forget about certain things. But you don’t have to worry about it, as Tom Tebeau can help with the procedure! We have developed a checklist you must go through on the first day for the child at home to ensure that everything goes as planned and the child feels welcomed at home and connected to the family.
If you don’t know the difference between adopting a child in Georgia and fostering a child, you may read our blog on it by visiting the link.
You should introduce each and every member of the family to the child, including pets (if you have any). The child will not be able to adjust comfortably in the home if he or she does not know all the people that live in the house. If someone is not available at home at that time, you may show the child a picture of them and tell them a bit about them and remember to introduce them to the child whenever they return.
The first place and most important one is the bathroom. You should let the newly adopted child know that he or she can use the bathroom whenever they feel like it without having to ask for it if they do not require any sort of help. If the foster child is young, they may be afraid of going to the bathroom alone, so you may keep looking for signs that they might have to go to the bathroom and ask them in periods if they need to use the bathroom. You may even ask this question privately to make it less awkward for the child.
Children are usually hungry when they come. So, keeping some snacks ready can prove to be helpful for you. If meal time is near, you shall keep the food prepared. It is good to give them a couple of choices but make sure it is not too many to overwhelm the child. You should make sure to ask them for food and give them both the drink and the food because they might not ask for it themselves, even if they are starving from hunger because they require some time to open up and settle with the new family before they talk about their needs.
This part comes after the introduction and the food. This all comes down to the child and how he or she feels comfortable. A younger child may like to eat first, but a little older one might prefer to get themselves comfortable before eating. You may ask the child what they would like to do first, food or the house tour. Make sure to show them all the rooms in the house and tell them which places they can access with or without supervision.
These are some of the things you can do on the first day of the foster child at home to make themselves comfortable at their new home. If you are planning to adopt a child in Georgia, you may come to us at Tom Tebeau for the best possible consultation. For more information, you may visit our website or contact us for an appointment.
