Wish us luck!

kara_leigh

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I have been wanting to become foster parents for a LONG time. Just last night I finally convinced hubby to at least take the classes, so I just emailed a local private agency for information and to set up classes! I'm so excited!! I plan to do cloth diapers, at least part time, so I already put an ad on Freecycle looking for diapers. lol I plan to take in children under two years old, and start with just one at a time for now until DS is 13 (2.5 years from now) when he can sit in the front seat and I can fit two carseats in the backseat of my car.

Yay!! I can't wait!
 

GoldyCat

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What a wonderful thing to do. I'm glad you're able to go ahead with it. Just wondering why you would choose to use cloth diapers?
 
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kara_leigh

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They are cheaper, most of my friends use cloth diapers, and I just love them.
Plus once you get a stash of them built up, you can use them for each child that comes through.
 

tierre0

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Congrats on your decision and good luck with becoming a foster parent. It is a wonderful thing to open your home to a child in need, and I am sure you will find the whole process rewarding. Kudo's to you
 

ut0pia

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That is such a great thing to do!! Good luck
I'm curious how long is fostering? Is it until the child becomes an adult or shorter?
 

snake_lady

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Originally Posted by tierre0

Congrats on your decision and good luck with becoming a foster parent. It is a wonderful thing to open your home to a child in need, and I am sure you will find the whole process rewarding. Kudo's to you
I couldn't have said it any better.
 

katkisses

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Good luck!!!

I am only 20, but I know for sure I want to adopt one day. Now you gave me something else to think about, fostering would be great too!
 

carolina

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Wow Kara - That's a GIGANTIC step!!! I admire you a lot for doing it! I could never do it.... I can't even let Hope go, imagine a baby!
What you are doing is such a wonderful, wonderful thing! In my book, one of those things that gets you quite a few steps on the stairway to heaven!

 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by kara_leigh

They are cheaper, most of my friends use cloth diapers, and I just love them.
Plus once you get a stash of them built up, you can use them for each child that comes through.
What a wonderful thing for you and hubby to do.

As for cloth diapers, I used a diaper service with cloth diapers and they were wonderful and so soft. Whenever my MIL had Jennifer for a few days she would use disposable diapers and Jen's little bum would get all sore and red. It never did with the cloth diapers. We did the calculations and the cloth diaper service was actually cheaper than disposable and they were picked up and delivered to the door every week.
 
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kara_leigh

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

As for cloth diapers, I used a diaper service with cloth diapers and they were wonderful and so soft. Whenever my MIL had Jennifer for a few days she would use disposable diapers and Jen's little bum would get all sore and red. It never did with the cloth diapers. We did the calculations and the cloth diaper service was actually cheaper than disposable and they were picked up and delivered to the door every week.
See, I can't decide if I want to use a diaper service or go ahead and buy a supply of prefolds/covers. When I worked in Montessori, they used the diaper service here in town, and the diapers were very soft and I liked them. Then again I can get a dozen of factory second Indian prefolds for $11 per dozen ($9.49 if I order 4 or more dozen at a time), and according to most people they don't seem any different than the factory firsts. That way too I can avoid a lot of the chemicals that diaper services use on their diapers to clean them, but then again I have to stay on top of washing them if I choose to buy our own. Another factor is that buying my own is a upfront purchase but once I have them there is no real additional money put out other than washing them...but if I use a diaper service that is still a monthly fee we have to shell out. Like I said, I can't decide. LOL
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by kara_leigh

See, I can't decide if I want to use a diaper service or go ahead and buy a supply of prefolds/covers. When I worked in Montessori, they used the diaper service here in town, and the diapers were very soft and I liked them. Then again I can get a dozen of factory second Indian prefolds for $11 per dozen ($9.49 if I order 4 or more dozen at a time), and according to most people they don't seem any different than the factory firsts. That way too I can avoid a lot of the chemicals that diaper services use on their diapers to clean them, but then again I have to stay on top of washing them if I choose to buy our own. Another factor is that buying my own is a upfront purchase but once I have them there is no real additional money put out other than washing them...but if I use a diaper service that is still a monthly fee we have to shell out. Like I said, I can't decide. LOL
I guess you have to decide how much laundry detergent, hot water and electricity you will use to keep cleaning diapers on a daily basis, i.e., how many loads of washing per day. Laundry detergent is quite expensive. I'm not sure about where you are, but our diaper service had 2 sets of diapers for us and only those diapers were used for our household (apparently). At the end of our service when we no longer needed diapers, we were allowed to keep some of them to use as cleaning rags, etc. The ones we didn't keep were apparently sold to car wash locations and such.
 
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kara_leigh

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

I guess you have to decide how much laundry detergent, hot water and electricity you will use to keep cleaning diapers on a daily basis, i.e., how many loads of washing per day. Laundry detergent is quite expensive. I'm not sure about where you are, but our diaper service had 2 sets of diapers for us and only those diapers were used for our household (apparently). At the end of our service when we no longer needed diapers, we were allowed to keep some of them to use as cleaning rags, etc. The ones we didn't keep were apparently sold to car wash locations and such.
I plan to get quite a few diapers so I only have to wash them about 2 times a week. Then again you have to wash each load 3 times. A cold wash with no soap, a hot/cold wash with soap, and a second cold wash to rinse them fully.

I'm SO EXCITED!! We are signed up for classes...and they start NEXT WEEK!!! OMG I'm giddy right now!
 

nes

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I use cloth diapers all the time!!
I just love them to bits, so much nicer on the bottom and our son has a big bum for diapers, so the ones that fit him width-wise are ridiculous length wise; but the cloth diapers fit just fine.

We have the covers/long pad version (I have NO idea what they are called) we got as hand-me-downs from someone who never used them!!
.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Laundry detergent is quite expensive.
1 part soap bar
1 part borax
1 part washing soda
Blend in food processor.

I LOVE IT!!!! It doesn't smell, super soft on baby skin, makes great laundry soap & is ridiculously inexpensive/load.

Originally Posted by kara_leigh

I plan to get quite a few diapers so I only have to wash them about 2 times a week. Then again you have to wash each load 3 times. A cold wash with no soap, a hot/cold wash with soap, and a second cold wash to rinse them fully.
Uh hun, you might want to try that one again
I wash my diapers 2 times a day... they really start to smell when you don't clean them up right away & the stains will actually come out when you wash them asap. If washing 2x a week is going to work for you my greatest respects to your laundry prowess, but I could never do that and get the poo out
.

I rinse out the poop either directly into the toilet or a non-kitchen sink. I only wash once in VERY hot water/cold rinse, then they get put out to dry on the line in the sun to kill off any bacteria. I find most babies skin aren't quite as sensitive as certain companies would like to lead you to believe, if you're worried even a second cold rinse would probably be better economy then re-washing all your diapers.

Plus homemade laundry detergent really is gentle on the skin since there are no perfumes or dyes.

Congratulations on the decision to foster!!! It's a wonderful, selfless thing to do!!
 

dusty's mom

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I haven't washed diapers in over 30 years! But I'm a great believer in Oxiclean. How does that work with laundry soap in getting out the diaper stains?
 
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kara_leigh

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Originally Posted by Nes

Uh hun, you might want to try that one again
I wash my diapers 2 times a day... they really start to smell when you don't clean them up right away & the stains will actually come out when you wash them asap. If washing 2x a week is going to work for you my greatest respects to your laundry prowess, but I could never do that and get the poo out
.
Most of my friends cloth diaper, and from talking to people on forums, most only wash their diapers every 2-3 days, which is about twice a week on the longer end.
 
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