COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Every day 700 children enter the foster system in the U.S. According to the Colorado Department of Human Services, there are over 3,700 children in foster care in Colorado.
That’s why groups have teamed up to help foster kids have a smoother transition.
Local volunteers, nonprofits, and the YMCA have teamed up to pack 250 comfort cases for youth in foster care today.
The comfort cases include backpacks, books, and hygiene products. The event is hosted by the Colorado Community Health Alliance, Comfort Cases, and the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region. I spoke with the founder of Comfort Cases, Rob Scheer. He was once a foster kid himself. He tells me his experiences led him to start this nonprofit, so foster children do not have to go through the pain he felt when he was first adopted.
“See most people don’t realize is when a child enters the system, they actually enter carrying this, a trash bag. Social workers don’t give it because they’re mean, they give it because they haven’t given resources so my family decided that is going to change,” said Scheer.
“In 1979, I actually walked into foster care, carrying this, in 1984 I was one of the 22,000 kids that aged out of foster care and out of the 70 percent we became homeless, just like I did, carrying this. For an entire year, I lived on the street carrying this trash bag. I made the decision at that point, you as a society were not going to describe how my future was going to be,” said Scheer.
The event is today at 11 a.m. at the YMCA at 2190 Jet Wing Drive in Colorado Springs and will include quick speeches from community members and elected officials.
These groups always seek donations to help children entering the foster care system. To donate to Comfort Cares, visit here.
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