HOLIDAY WELCOME BOXES
This holiday season, join us in creating Welcome Boxes for children entering foster care. These boxes, filled with age-appropriate items, are given to children by social workers to help occupy their time as they transition into a new foster home. Many arrive with only a few personal belongings, so the comfort a Welcome Box provides is invaluable. It’s a simple yet powerful way to reflect God’s love and care for vulnerable children in our community—and a meaningful opportunity to involve your whole family. Simply view the list below for items needed and instructions on how to assemble your box. Please ensure all boxes are returned by December 15.
Here's how to put your box together.
Here is a simple guide for filling a Welcome Box with creative, age-appropriate items. Fill the box will all the items on the Essential list, and different items on the Extra list to fill box to the brim.
1. Buy a photo storage / memory box / plastic container:
2. Decide who the Welcome Box will be for:
3. Write an Encouraging Note:
4. Seal it:
5. Drop it off:
For full details, please download the PDF below.
Here is the scoop.
The majority of children coming into foster care must wait in a Child Welfare office for at least two hours while a social worker tries to find them a suitable living placement. As you can imagine, this is a time of high anxiety for children. Recently removed from their home, a child’s future is now unknown. The notion of a Welcome Box is simple: while the child waits in the office, a social worker gives them a box of items that are age-appropriate to occupy their time. They will take this box with them into their new foster home. Since many children enter foster care with only just a few personal belongings, the psychological importance of these Welcome Boxes cannot be underestimated. Making a Welcome Box is a simple way to comfort a child entering foster care. And, it is a great way to involve your whole family in caring for the children of our community.
