Care Packs

Team Members: Janet Bell, Jake Broom, Sally Caver, Todd Jaeck, Matt Kennell, Chrysti Shain, John Thomas, Meghan Walker

What would you do if you were suddenly taken from everything you know? Plucked from your bedroom without even a change of clothes?

Hundreds of children experience this in South Carolina every year, rescued from a dangerous home situation and taken to live with another family, often with only what the child is wearing at the time.

One way to help children during this time is to give them a few things to call their own.

Our team, Care Packs, worked with the South Carolina Foster Parent Association and the South Carolina Department of Social Services to create a brochure and promotional video to help groups wishing to create Care Packs for foster children get started.

The materials give background on the problem, list specific items that should be included in each pack (which differ based on the age and gender of the child), and include contact information for the proper people at SCPA and SC DSS to distribute the packs to children in need.

The promotional materials are designed to make it as easy as possible for volunteer groups, church groups, school groups or interested citizens to understand the problem and know how to take action.

Care Packs can’t end the trauma children transitioning into foster care face, but they can provide the only comfort a vulnerable child has coming out of a dangerous situation. They are a small, anonymous gesture that could have a huge impact on a child’s life.