Foundation makes holidays bright for children in foster care
For many children in foster care, the holidays are a difficult time as they struggle to adjust to living with a foster family or in a group foster home. The children have been removed from their own homes due to abuse or neglect and placed in the foster care system. They are often sad and hurting. Finances are often tight for foster families, and there may not be much money available for gifts.
To bring joy, and give these children and their foster families a celebration to remember, Kind to Kids Foundation founder and President Caroline Jones welcomed them to the organization’s 12th annual Holiday Foster Family Party for Sussex and Kent Counties, held Dec. 10, at Milford Senior Center. The toy area was the highlight of the party, filled with thousands of toys and books for the children to choose from. Each child was delighted to pick out three books and three toys from the overflowing tables.
“It is heartwarming to see the children’s eyes light up as they choose gifts of their very own,” Jones said. “We do this every year to ensure that foster children feel special and enjoy beautiful presents for the holidays.” Kind to Kids provided 125 children and foster families with toys, books, gifts, lunch and a visit from Santa.
Kind to Kids Foundation hosted the event along with sponsor Bay to Beach Builders. “We don’t want any of the children to go without, especially during the holiday season.” said owner Deric Parker. Bay to Beach Builders also supports Kind to Kids Foundation’s UGrad Academy for foster children. Parker said, “We want them to have the skills and well-being they need to thrive.”
The Kind to Kids UGrad Academy is a transformative educational program that helps Delaware foster children – from kindergarten through trade school or college – succeed in school. The program achieves a 98% high school graduation rate for foster youth.
“These children and teens are living in foster care settings. They don't have stable families of their own for support when they enter the world as young adults, and they need help to find their way,” Jones said. This program does just that.”
Kind to Kids Foundation serves 300 foster children statewide annually, and gives them the educational advocacy and emotional well-being to succeed in the world.
Jones said, “Every donation makes a difference in the life of a local foster child. We are grateful for the support of our generous community which enables us to help our community’s most vulnerable children.”
For more information, go to kindtokids.org.
