Themes for a Shower for Foster Parents

There are many shower themes for soon-to-be foster parents.

Having a shower for a soon-to-be foster parent is much like having a traditional baby shower, except foster parents are often unaware of the age or gender of the foster child until arrival. But like any other parents, they do need a lot of supplies and support to help with the adjustment period. Despite the challenges, there are many shower themes available for soon-to-be foster parents that will help them prepare for the new foster child.

Seasonal

Sometimes, the foster child arrives with short notice giving the foster parents minimal time to prepare. If this is the case and you would like to have a shower before the child's arrival, consider a seasonal theme. For instance, if it is nearing Christmas and all the Christmas decorations are out, use them to decorate the shower. The food may be anything seasonal such as fruit cake, eggnog or glazed ham. While gifts may include practical items such as new linens for the child's bedroom, they could also be anything that will help the foster family prepare for their first holiday together as a family, such as a Christmas tree and ornaments.

New Beginnings

If the soon-to-be foster parents are expecting their very first foster child, a theme surrounding "new beginnings" might carry a lot of sentiment. The decor might consist of anything that exudes new beginnings, such as a rainbow or spring flowers. Little memos of inspiration placed throughout the shower's location will provide words of wisdom to the new foster parents as well as offer a bit of emotional support.

School

A school-themed shower is the perfect way to celebrate a new child into the home and to support the parents with much-needed school supplies. The decor may include items such as apple centerpieces, alphabet trains or a school bus backdrop. Because the theme is centered on school, consider offering gifts such as a bouquet of crayons, notebooks, recreational reading books and other school supplies. Gifts might even include passes to a local family attraction such as a museum.

Welcome to Parenthood

This is another fun shower to have if the soon-to-be foster parents are welcoming their first child into the home. Standard decorations such as balloons, banners and floral centerpieces work well no matter what age and gender the child is. Since the theme is parenthood, encourage guests to bring gifts that they personally found useful as parents. This might include milk, cookie dough and a baking pan for baking up those late-night chocolate chip cookies, or maybe even a first-aid kit.