Give Foster Kids a Brighter Holiday This Giving Tuesday

Mark your calendars for December 3rd, 2024! Giving Tuesday is a global day devoted to bringing together people and organizations to create lasting change in their communities. With foster care placements doubling over the holidays, Foster Love’s mission is to help foster children this Giving Tuesday by increasing our efforts to deliver comfort, dignity, and hope to children during this challenging time. 

This powerful day of generosity inspires millions worldwide to support nonprofit organizations, lifting up communities and driving change where it’s needed most. For Foster Love, Giving Tuesday is a vital time to rally support for foster youth across the nation and provide them with life-changing support. 

Foster Care Placements Increase During The Holidays

While the holiday season is full of joy and celebration, it is also unfortunately a period of increased stress and hardship leading to a spike in foster care placements. There are several key reasons for this:

Family, Domestic Abuse, and Social Stress: The expectation to be with family during the holidays can put significant emotional stress on some families. When familial relationships are strained or fractured, this can lead to child abuse or neglect. Additionally, the isolation or loneliness that some families feel during this time can amplify these challenges, making children more vulnerable to unsafe environments. For families dealing with abuse, the added stress of the holidays can escalate already tense home situations. The tendency for families to try and spend time together for the holidays can lead to more domestic violence reports. This often puts children in danger, resulting in their removal from their homes.

Financial Strain: The pressures to provide during the holidays, whether due to job loss and other economic hardships, or being unable to buy basic necessities can cause more stress. In some cases, this makes children more vulnerable to abuse or neglect. 

Substance Abuse: Factors like stress or mental health crises can trigger or exacerbate substance abuse problems. Parties, gatherings, and family pressures may contribute to a rise in drinking or drug use, which can result in unsafe home environments for children. 

How Sweet Cases Can Help During the Holidays

When children enter foster care, they are often placed suddenly, and sometimes without warning. During crises or emergencies, this can mean not being able to say goodbye to family. They may have to leave their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs, and are given only a trash bag to pack up and transport their belongings. 

This is where Sweet Cases come in. Just $30, provides a foster child with a Sweet Case—a duffle bag filled with comforting essentials that give them a sense of dignity and hope. 

Each Sweet Case includes a cuddly teddy bear, a warm blanket, and hygiene items like a toothbrush and toothpaste, all intended to provide a sense of normalcy and comfort during a difficult time. For Giving Tuesday, Sweet Cases will also include special holiday items to remind children that they are not alone for the holidays and bring a sense of joy and warmth to children who may otherwise feel alone and forgotten during this time of year.

Your Impact This Giving Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024

Every two minutes, a child enters foster care, and this number rises more during the holiday season leaving many children separated from their families. This adds up to over 300,000+ children spending the holidays without a permanent home. As the holidays approach, we must work together to ensure these children feel a sense of warmth and love.

Foster Love’s missing to help foster children this Giving Tuesday can’t happen without your help. By donating, you are joining a movement that strives to bring comfort to children who have experienced trauma and separation during what should be a time of celebration.

How You Can Make the Holidays Brighter for Foster Youth

There are several ways you can help foster children this Giving Tuesday:

1. Sponsor a Sweet Case: Your $30 donation can deliver a Sweet Case filled with comfort and essential items to a child in need.
2. Spread the Word: Share our mission with your friends, family, and social networks. The more people who know about Giving Tuesday and Foster Love, the more we can help.
3. Become a Monthly Supporter: Consider a recurring donation to provide ongoing support for foster children throughout the year by joining the Foster Love Club.

The holidays are a time for joy, family, and love, but for many children in foster care, these feelings are hard to come by. This Giving Tuesday, you can change that. By contributing to Foster Love, you help us bring hope, dignity, and comfort to children who need it most. 

Together, we can ensure that every foster child has a brighter, more hopeful holiday season.

Join Us in Making Sure No Child Feels Alone This Holiday Season – SPONSOR A SWEET CASE THIS GIVING TUESDAY