In late fall, families across the U.S. get geared up for the upcoming holiday season: stockings are stuffed, presents are wrapped, and menus are planned. For foster children, however, the realities are often different.

The State pays a stipend for housing, food, and some clothing, but the funds provided are often not enough to cover other basic costs. Sometimes this means foster kids miss out on the ‘fun’ activities of Christmas, and often this means they do without gifts.

Foster parents want to give their kids as normal a home environment as possible, but when finances are tight, sacrifices have to be made.

This is where organizations like Blair Hope for Families come in. BHF connects donors with foster families in need, to ensure that they have enough funds to meet these extra costs. BHF works with the State to ensure that all families are properly vetted, and that funds are used as intended. In many cases BHF is able to obtain matching grants or donations from suppliers, meaning that families are able to obtain more supplies than they could if shopping/spending out of pocket. This means that foster kids actually get a Christmas rather than watching others celebrate.

This month, we’re focused on supplying Christmas presents for our foster families this upcoming season. You can partner with us at checkout to supercharge this project, and you can also donate directly HERE.