2. Challenges Foster Children Face : some statistics Each year, over 10,000 children in the Northeast enter foster care. Majority of foster children have at least 1 chronic medical condition. Experience 4x as many emotional problems than peers. Average 3 different placements, and nearly half do not return to live with their biological families. Repeat a school grade twice as often as other students. They score 15-20 percent below other kids on statewide tests. 37% of foster youth drop out of high school, compared to 16% of the population. At age 18, 61% have no job experience and 1/3 end up on welfare. Within 18 months of aging out of the system, up to 50% of foster youth become homeless

3. A lack of personal belongings Often times when children are removed from the home it is chaotic. Frequently children have only minutes to gather the belongings. Most children come into foster care carrying a trash bag filled with what ever they could find. Moving into a foster home often means leaving behind all of their personal belongings. For foster families, this means replenishing important items like clothing, shoes, coats, and even pajamas.

4. But it doesn't have to be this way. Children without permanent homes have few personal items, if they have any at all. Having something to call their own can be vitally important to them. My mission is to improve the lives of the foster children living in Massachusetts. Clearly not everyone can be a foster parent, anyone can help a foster child.

5. This is where we can help.

6. My plan is to create “my stuff” bags

7. What I need: Pajamas, clothing and personal care supplies Bottles and teething toys School supplies, including backpacks and lunch bags Games and stuffed animals Coloring books and crayons

8. Donation boxes Kindly leave donations in my donation box.

9. Let’s help make night time a little cozier. THANK YOU!!!!!