Love Our Kids
A Program of
There are over 600 kids in foster care in Stanislaus County.
Every number has a name.
Every name has a story.
Love Our Kids believes in the power of caring for children especially during difficult life transitions. Our main focus is on supporting children and families within the foster care system. We partner with Stanislaus County Child Welfare to identify the needs of these children and then we seek to inspire our community to help meet these needs by making it simple and easy to get involved. We do this all throughout the year as well as at our annual events.
Donate Items
Love Our Kids works directly with
Stanislaus County Child Welfare to identify the specific needs of foster children
and their families.
Search through this list of needs and let us know if you can help!
Current needs
This is our current referral list. All of these requests were received from social workers who have vetted these needs and are reaching out to find support for these children and their families.
Scroll through the list and if you have one of these items to donate or want to give financially toward the purchase of an item, please click one of the buttons below to contact us!
Scroll and click on an opportunity to learn more.
Common needs
Listed below are items that are commonly requested. When storage space allows, we like to "stock up" on these items so they are ready when we need them! If you have one of these items to donate, simply click the "Donate An Item" button above to let us know.
Dressers
Twin Bed Frames
New Twin Sheet Sets
Kitchen Table and Chairs
Cribs
Crib Mattresses
Strollers
Pack N Plays
Ways to Help
We often get referral for new clothes and shoes for kids in foster care. We are always in need of new closed toed shoes in all sizes (specifically youth size 3-11) for children to wear to school. There is nothing that boosts confidence quite like a new pair of shoes!
At our recent Every Child Matters event, one of our panelists bravely shared that when she graduated high school she had no one to celebrate with. This just shouldn't be! We are working with local photographers to give a senior portrait session to graduates as a way to say
"We are so proud of you!"
For just $40, you can sponsor a graduate giving them a free portrait session, a digital copy of all their photos, 10 graduation announcements, and a framed 8x10 photo.
Did you know there is a big need for textured hair care products for kids entering foster care?
We want to love all children well and have now made these items available to social workers to help
make a new transition smoother.
The response has been INCREDIBLE!
Clearly this was a need, and we want to help!
Our Events
comfort kit
Drive
December 7th, 2024
We understand that transitioning into foster care is an extremely difficult and scary process for children. Though we know a comfort kit will not erase all of that fear, we hope it provides some comfort and communicates to the child that they are loved and valued.
A comfort kit is a reusable bag that is filled with all sorts of items to help ease this transition. A stuffed animal to cuddle, a nightlight to make that first night away from home less scary, or a coloring book to give the child something to do while they wait to find out where they are going are just a few of the items inside.
Join us for our annual Comfort Kit Drive (First Saturday in December) where hundreds of community members come together to assemble and organize over 1,000 comfort kits that are given to children in Stanislaus County and the surrounding areas.
Every Child
Matters
Coming March 2025
Love Our Kids believes that the best way to positively impact the foster care system is to listen and learn from those that have experienced it first hand.
Join us every March for Every Child Matters, as we highlight the voices of former foster youth and the professionals who work with them. They share about the realities of the system, what it's like to grow up in foster care, and how they feel we can best support children in care.
You will walk away with very practical "next steps".
It is truly such an inspiring morning!
Become a
Resource
Parent
By becoming a Resource Parent, you will partner with Stanislaus County Child Welfare, to provide both short term and long term care for a child in need. Whether you are interested in foster care or adoption, the process is now the same. The first step is to attend Orientation to learn more about the program.
