Reddit reviews Kidkusion Indoor/Outdoor Banister Guard, Clear, 15'
We found 2 Reddit comments about Kidkusion Indoor/Outdoor Banister Guard, Clear, 15'. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Easily attaches with enclosed tie strapsMeasures 33'' x 15' rollCombine product for longer lengthHelps to prevent falls and keep the toys upstairs
Lining the railings and the death trap area underneath the stairs with plastic or mesh might work. I've used it to help my daredevil cat from jumping from the second floor landing over the foyer in my home.
>be can be as short as a few hours
I guess if a few is 10-12ish.
>is there an "average" stay length
Usually, you don't know. A few months is not unusual, I'd count on 3 months being usual short end (unless it's 2-weeks and they're trying to puzzle siblings together around a bunch of nearly full placements).
>open to all age-ranges up to 17
I don't know what state you're in. You may want to consider instead saying "any age". A lot of states rules don't let you "care for" any "adults or children not in foster care (or your kids)" in your home. Not every state ages kids out at the 18th birthday. There's usually a transition to independent placement option that may run to 22 (when kids normally finish college). If you've had a kid since they were even 14, do you want your license to require them to be moved when they hit 18? Do you want them to stay with you over university breaks? This caveat usually comes as a surprise to people.
>sibling groups of up to 3
I'm not sure about your room situation, but in some states agemate/gendermate rules apply to siblings, so the room may be partially empty some of the time. Consider what you want to do to support Little Miss before you're trying to emotionally decide if she has to share her room or the third sibling has to sleep at the office.
>What is the training like?
It's very touchy-feely. Usually it's about helping you empathize with a foster kid. Because you're probably default is a happy, hearty "WELCOME!!! we're so excited to have you here" and they're trying to get you to "I understand your world is falling apart right now and I'm here to help; please use the toilet whenever you need to".
Also, your (mostly unpaid) "job" is basically to keep the kid alive and help support the parents, some of whom would generally be regarded as scum by society. So, there will likely be some information on how to support rather than judge bio parents.
You'll also probably be introduced to a bit of state law regarding kids, and federal law like ICWA.
Like everything else though, it's going to vary by state.
>My house is not as pristine as I'd like for it to be. Are there any major things I need to be sure of that you discovered when you went through this.
The home study has less to do with cleanliness and more to do with your not killing the children. Think of it more as a child-proofing thing. Toys on the floor, and dirty laundry are usually no big deal. On the other hand:
If it says "out of reach of children" it should be. That means all your cleaners and the open shampoo in your shower, probably. Also, Clorox wipes (or knockoffs) need to be put up.
Cabinets with chemicals need child locks.
Gates on every set of stairs (top & bottom), no pressure gates at the top.
Medicine locked up; must be an actual lock (tool boxes are okay for this, it's hard to get a wall mounted medicine cabinet for this). When your kid gets strep, etc, you're gonna have medicine that has to be refrigerated. Have a fridge lockbox on hand, you don't want to be waiting on it in the mail. Or get a dorm fridge with the little key.
Balusters (railings) my state has a 4" rule. Most balusters seem to be installed absolutely stupidly and some span 6" or more. Have a plan to make them safe. My personal favorite is this sheeting. It actually is almost invisible, but kids absolutely LOVE the sound running into it makes, so that's the obvious downside.
"I have to lock it and I don't know how" - 90% of these issues are solved by knowing the word "hasp" and being able to saw up a 2 by 4. Seriously, learning that thing is called a hasp took forever, and then locking things got way, way simpler.
Wall mount the TVs. It's not required, but kids can't get crushed, they can't mess with the buttons, they have a harder time getting mess all over the screen.
Also, a lot of these kids get out of bed after you're asleep and move to the couch. Check the couches before you freak out when they're missing.