Foster Children? Living with relatives, do we add them?

Foster Children? Living with relatives for an extended but temporary period of time. The foster parents have requested their memberships be added to the Ward. Two of the children are over eight years old and have been baptized and one is 2 years old. Do we add them to the foster families Household? or just call in the individual records? Or leave the record with the Birth mother who is having issues? Any help would be appreciated.

Since they have been baptized, we can skip a number of thorny questions.

I can't think of a reason why they can't be grouped with the foster parents, but I think talking with the birth mother (if she's in the same ward) and/or the birth mother's Bishop (if it's a different ward) would be a good idea.

The Birth mother is completely inactive and according to my Bishop the birth mothers Bishop probably doesn't even know her. The Birth mothers sister is currently the foster parent. Just wondering if I just pull in the records of two baptized children and do nothing with the 2 year old?

DixieAggie wrote:The Birth mother is completely inactive and according to my Bishop the birth mothers Bishop probably doesn't even know her. The Birth mothers sister is currently the foster parent. Just wondering if I just pull in the records of two baptized children and do nothing with the 2 year old?

I don't see any reason not to include the 2 year old as long as they are living with the sister in the ward.

DixieAggie wrote:Just wondering if I just pull in the records of two baptized children and do nothing with the 2 year old?

I would include the 2 year old - as long as there is a record. If there is no record, then you would have a permissions issue in trying to add him/her.

I still think coordination with the other bishop is a good idea. If you pull just the children, that ward might send the mother or pull the children back. It really doesn't matter if the other bishop doesn't know her. It involves people who are under his stewardship. Separating the mother from the child is unusual. One phone call up front could save you some grief later.

The handbook is very clear on this issue. If the person is going to be gone for more than three months then the records get moved. An exception must go through the First Presidency for approval.

There is no difference on the status of the children. Kids in foster care who are members get moved and become part of the new household. It does not matter if they are relatives or not.

The Bishop checked the Handbook and there was nothing on Foster children, so we might have to go with that interpretation. It seem rather black and white with the 3 month deal, but Foster children are a special situation. I wish there was more to go on in the Handbook.

DixieAggie wrote:but Foster children are a special situation.

The only thing special about Foster children is they need to feel loved and cared for by everyone. They need to be treated like everyone else in the family they are living with. They need to feel that they are part of that family.

The administrative part is the easy part of the whole deal.

DixieAggie wrote:It seem rather black and white with the 3 month deal, but Foster children are a special situation.

I assume you're talking about how long they are expected to be in the ward? Yes, that is rather black and white. It's been 3 months since the days when membership was all handled by snail mail.

It's much faster now, but it does make one ask if there's much to be gained by moving them in if they're expected to be there for only a few weeks.

Part of me is suspicious that there's an ulterior motive that has nothing to do with church.