KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
A Johnson County nonprofit is working to make kids feel more comfortable when they’re being placed into foster care. They provide care packages, so kids have the essentials they need.
With around 14,000 kids in foster care in Missouri and 7,000 in Kansas, Care Package Inbound makes sure as many of these kids as possible have a bag to help with the transition.
"A lot of children, when they're entering into foster care, either have nothing to their name or have very little," Care Package Inbound co-founder Jessica Silvey said.
Each care package contains clothes, hygiene products and toys designed to help children get through their first 24 hours in a new home. The items allow kids to focus on something other than basic needs during an already overwhelming time.
"We give them the items that they need," Silvey said. “Since they have those essential items, they can now focus on their emotional regulation.”
But the nonprofit currently has a significant backlog. They need to assemble 500 bags just to catch up on their back orders.
"We want to be extra consistent with our kids," Silvey said.
She founded Care Package Inbound six years ago to show her unconditional support for children in the foster system.
"If a child needs a bag, give them a bag and that's it. I don't care if they're going to Canada…. I don't care if they've gotten three bags and they just need another,” said Silvey. “This is a consistent resource for them to have and to make these children feel cared for and loved."
To address their current shortage, the organization is hosting its first public packing event at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at Brew Haha Coffeehouse. Tickets cost $45, with proceeds going toward supply costs.
Click this link to purchase a ticket.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
