Can You Imagine?
For reasons beyond your control, you’re suddenly taken out of your home and sent to live with strangers. They are caring, loving people, but you don’t know them, and you’re scared, hurt, confused and even angry. Nothing around you is familiar any more. But this is the new life that’s been handed to you.
You could be an infant or a teenager in high school, or anybody in between. But no matter what age, you have no say in where you end up living or going to school. Or whether you’ll ever find stability, security or be able to attain your dreams, big or small.
This is what every foster child goes through. But while foster families are nurturing and supportive, not all are financially well off.
The Problem
Each foster child has a $350 per year clothing allowance. While this may sound adequate, keep in mind that many of these displaced children are taken in by foster families with almost nothing except the clothes they are wearing. Children also grow and wear out their clothes. And anything above basic subsistence, such as driver education, education expenses for special needs children, medical expenses not covered by insurance, sports and dances all require additional expenditures. So oftentimes the money doesn’t go far enough. Our CPS Board reviews all requests for reimbursement from foster families, so no allowances are given for frivolous or extravagant spending. But every child deserves a chance at normalcy, and to not just survive but to do well despite their challenges, don’t they?
Our foster families also face their own trials in addition to the challenges of providing a stable home for foster children in crisis. Many of them are economic, because foster families aren’t all in the higher income brackets. But they all have a heart for children and compassion for their needs. So our CPS Board is there to try and help as much as possible, including relatively minimal financial support.
Our CPS Board relies on private donations and fundraising to assist with these expenses incurred by foster families. The money the board receives from the county only covers foster program administration expenses and other required costs such as drug testing. So it’s up to all of us, personally, to help provide for these children displaced by circumstance.
How You Can Help
We’ve started a new program to help non-profits raise the funds they need to help others. We call it
Live Here, Give Here.* The concept is simple: keep Collin County donations in Collin County, providing for local needs.
100% of all donations
Live Here, Give Here receives go to the non-profit organizations.
The first organization to be helped by
Live Here, Give Here is the county Child Protective Services Board, who assists foster families in need of the basics to ensure their foster children suffer from no disadvantages. The CPS Board needs help to help these foster families, which is where you come in.
Please consider donating any amount to our local foster children’s needs. You can donate two ways:
PayPal – this secure online payment system is fast and easy.
