Can being a built in free daycare when the mom has to go to school or built in babysitter when she wants to go out, teach the teen mom responsibilities? Are does it give her the idea that someone is always around to take up the slack or that this is how it will be when she is on her own?

A foster parent should not be providing child care for the teen mom without the teen mom having any responsibilities for this arrangement. If the teen mom works she should be paying for the care of her baby. The amount can be $10-$20 a month for child care. It is not about the amount but the principal of teaching the responsibility of being a parent including child care. You can turn around and spend the money on the baby if you feel funny about accepting money from the teen mom. If the teen does not have a job then she may need to have more responsibilities in the home to earn the time of you providing child care. The teen needs to realize and understand that child care is a major part of parenting and is her responsibility. You as the foster parent can be creative in the way the teen assumes the responsibility of your caring for her child. Above, are just a couple of ideas.

Always being available for babysitting or rearranging your schedule to be available is not showing the teen a realistic picture of child care. There will be timesthat the teen may not be able to do something she wants to do because of the child care responsibilities. This is part of life and being a parent. The truth is that when these teen moms age out of the foster care system there will not be people everywhere willing to care of her child free or every time she needs them too. So, help her learn the responsibility of child care it is something she will be dealing with for a few years.

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More reading:

Foster Teen Moms: Responsibilities

Foster Parents Parenting Pregnant Teens or Teen Moms