đź“ŚInformal Temporary Care
đź’ĄBig Takeaways:
Placing your child in informal temporary care means finding a supportive person who you trust to care for your baby for a short period of time.
Informal temporary care can be useful if you need a few weeks or perhaps months to access the resources you need to be able to parent.
You may want to consider signing a caregiver authorization which could allow the temporary caregiver to obtain medical care for your baby or enroll them in daycare.
đź“–4 min read
If you are having doubts about the resources available to you or the time you have to get them before you give birth, it might help to explore temporary care for after the baby is born. This is different from foster care in which the state is taking custody of your child and making decisions for you, with or without your consent.
Informal temporary care could be useful in situations where you feel that you need a few weeks or perhaps months to access needed resources to be able to meet the needs of your baby. Many people are very far along in their pregnancy or have already given birth before they are able to decide what they want or are able to do.
Placing your child in temporary care would mean finding a supportive person in your life who you trust to make good decisions, either on their own or in conjunction with you, to provide daily care to your baby for a short period of time. This person might be someone in your immediate or extended family, a friend, neighbor, “chosen family” member, or someone else you believe would be a safe, responsible, and loving temporary caregiver to your child.
📢If the person or people you are choosing will be taking physical custody of the baby, for example, having the baby live with them temporarily, you may want to consider signing a caregiver authorization which could allow them to obtain medical care for your baby or enroll them in daycare.
đź’¬Questions to ask:
Is there anyone in my life who I would trust?
What experience do they have caring for babies?
Would they take the baby to where they live, or would they help me where I am living?
What would each of our roles be?
What amount of time can they commit to?
Who would pay for expenses directly related to the baby’s care?
Would they expect other types of payment?
If the other parent is involved, are they in agreement with the plan?
đź’¬Things to Consider:
If there is a difference of opinion about how to meet your baby’s needs, how would you compromise?
If the person you chose suddenly became unavailable, where would the baby go?
The baby is likely to bond with the person providing consistent care to them, how will you feel if your baby is starting to bond with someone else?
Hospitals (typically the social worker) need to confirm that the person they are discharging a baby to has the ability to meet the needs of a baby, and would need to agree with your plan.
