(Posted 2021 August, Updated 2023 December)
Unfortunately, many children come into foster care, sometimes late at night, with only the clothes on their backs. Thankfully, the Foster Closet is a free resource available to all foster children and the families that care for them to ease their transition into care.
The Foster Closet provides new and gently used gear, clothing, and toys at no charge to kinship (relative) families and foster parents when they receive a placement. It has helped many families get a head start on providing kids with all they need to adjust in their new homes.
Within hours of a placement, The Foster Closet can get families a few of the necessities they need to help children settle in, such as:
- Clothes, coats, and shoes.
- Equipment such as highchairs, baby bathtubs, strollers, bassinets, activity centers, swings, and pack & plays.
- Limited amounts of furniture. Occasionally larger items like dressers, convertible cribs and changing tables become available
- Car seats are not available.
Families take only what you want. If you feel these items would be helpful to the child as they return home or move on to live with a kinship family, please encourage them to take the items.
If the child remains with you, feel free to return clothes as they outgrow them and get new sizes or other equipment as they grow.
Started approximately a decade ago by Fairfax County foster parents Amy Zydel and Cynthia Kyser, the Foster Closet was the idea of Kyser’s middle school-aged daughter, Lily. She wanted to extend the usefulness of these resources by creating a way for them to be shared among kids in foster care. Lily intends to continue making an impact for children as she is now studying at Virginia Tech to become a social worker.
The Foster Closet moved in April 2023 to Manassas, VA. To access the Foster Closet, please text (preferred) or call its director, Larissa Morgan, at 571-244-0263. Be sure to include the specific items needed and the ages, sizes, and genders of the children in your care to quickly make arrangements to receive the appropriate items. You can also contact the Foster Closet through email.
This article posting is part of the Foster Family News monthly newsletter designed to keep foster parents informed about all the new and notable happenings in Fairfax County.
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