Local foster parent association urges community to donate to school supply drive

JACKSON, TN (WNBJ) - Foster care children in the community are in need of your help. With the school year approaching, the Jackson-Madison County Foster Parent Association is currently taking donations for school supplies and clothing to help those in need.

Donations are now being accepted for school supplies and clothing for 37 children in the foster care system in Madison county.

“The back-to-school donation is really important to the student so many of them come from situations that we can never imagine. They have come to the foster care system through abuse and neglect and their eyes just light up because there is still a sticker on the backpack because it is brand new school supplies in the box. It’s one of the ways they don’t stand out. They come in with everything they need for the school year,” said Renae Adelsberger, the President of the Jackson-Madison County Foster Parent Association.

The Madison County Foster Care Association exists under the umbrella of the Tennessee Foster Association and has been serving the community for 12 years.

One member of the association has been fostering for four years and is grateful to the group for creating a safe haven for foster families to build a support system.

“Being a foster parent was really intimidating, not knowing who to ask questions to. You know the social workers and the DCS workers and everybody is already busy so being a part of an association, you actually have somebody who can connect to and who are also foster parents who know the ends and outs. So, that was a big relief as a new foster parent,” said Janina Warrington, a member of the Jackson-Madison County Foster Parent Association.

The organization also has a foster closet that aids families who may need essential items to prepare their home for a foster child.

“Our goal is to support foster parents in every stage of the fostering journey. So that could be that very first-midnight call you get when you find out a child is on the way, and you have that mad dash of needing clothes and diapers. So, we help them through that entire step, until the child finds permanency,” said Adelsberger.

The foster closet collects a variety of items such as hygiene products, toys, and books. Monetary donations are accepted as well.

The school supply donation deadline is July 22nd but the foster closet in Jackson is always collecting items for kids in Madison county.

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