Clothing, Food, Toys, School Supplies for Foster Children

Supporting Foster Families with Clothing, Food, Toys, and More

One of the most common struggles for foster parents is a lack of support as they care for youth who have experienced abuse or neglect. Missouri provides the second lowest stipend for foster parents in the entire US, while Kansas offers the seventh lowest. Without adequate resources, individuals and families sadly find themselves unable to take in children in need of a safe, loving home.

Sammy’s Window provides a wide variety of free items to lift the tangible burden of caring for youth who are in foster care or have been adopted. Through the ongoing help of community donations, FosterAdopt Connect stocks items for all stages of child development. Depending on location, this may include:

New or gently used, clean clothing
New or gently used shoes
New socks and underwear
Hygiene products
Diapers
Formula
Dry goods
New or like new books
New toys
Baby equipment
School supplies

Why is Sammy’s Window Important?

One day at Sammy’s window, a young teenage boy came in with gift cards and cash he wanted to donate ahead of the Christmas season. While he was still standing at the counter, the phone rang. A nine-month pregnant, 24-year old woman was calling to say that she just learned her younger siblings were returning to foster care. Though she was advocating to have the children placed in her home, she did not have the resources needed to care for multiple children.

Through community donations, we were able to provide beds, mattresses, food, hygiene items, and school supplies to the family. However, it was close enough to Christmas that it was too late for them to participate in our Give Joy Holiday program. Thankfully, the young man at the counter was in the right place at the right time. Through shared tears, he told the mom that he would be covering Christmas gifts for all of her children.