Beans for Bags: Foster Supports of Jefferson County
Providing Wrap-Around Care for Foster Families in Jefferson County
At Foster Supports, our goal is to provide a culture of support for foster families and children in fostercare. We do this through a combination of quick-response help for immediate needs, ongoing communication and support, structured programs, and reaching out to community support. We call it “wrap-around” care – surrounding foster kids and families with local love.
We work closely with the Department of Children, Youth and Families. When we receive approval from each family, we contact them directly and tell them how we can help – providing clothes, school supplies, food, finding community resources and support. We let them know we’re with them for the long term.
Our Programs and Activities
Just begun this year, our Bike Project has bought 11 bikes and helmets for 6 foster families. It’s a cooperative venture between Olympic Angels, ReCyclery, and discounts from the Broken Spoke in Port Townsend.
Kicks for Kids: with the help of United Good Neighbors, foster families receive a voucher for each child to buy new shoes or boots of their choice twice a year at the Mercantile in Port Townsend.
Clothes Closet: we are ready with a supply of gently-used children’s clothes available on short notice.
“Real-Time Care
Holding a 9-day-old baby being placed with its grandmother, our volunteer learned the new grandma needed everything. So we called for supplies and ended up bringing diapers from Dove House, baby clothes from our Clothes Closet and Hey Baby, who added a bath and more. And Lehani’s donated soup for grandma.”
“We’re in this together
Events bring our families together, creating a thriving foster community. At one event, a mom who fostered 97 babies over the years met and shared ideas with a new grandma who just received twin granddaughters to foster. They had a lot to talk about!”
Events and Community support:
A free course in the gym for our families from Twisters gymnastics
Pool passes for each child in care from JeffCo Aquatic Coalition
Scholarships for children in care for gym, sports, music and dance activities
Haircuts for children from the Wash House Salon
Soup from Lehani’s restaurant
Children’s Clothes from Hey Baby consignment
Christmas party with Santa
Beach party at Fort Worden
Programs We Support
Foster Supports helped bring these wonderful organizations into our community, and we continue to provide resources to help them.
Office Moms and Dads: during the stressful time when social workers are arranging for a child’s care, our volunteers stay with children and do their best to make them comfortable – offering toys and games, food for empty bellies, kindness and a safe place.
Olympic Angels: part of an established program that surrounds foster families with ongoing care, the Olympic Angels bring support one step further – they select a team of volunteers for each family. From a date night for parents to diapers and wipes, the Love Box builds trust and steady support.
Foster Supports of Jefferson County is organized exclusively for charitable purposes that qualify as exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service.
