CINCINNATI — In 2019, nearly 3,600 kids in Ohio were placed with family members who are not their biological parents.
As back to school approaches, caretakers for those children are getting some help with supplies.
Lynnette Angel is raising her 7-year-old great-nephew Aaron through kinship care.
“It was a lot of changes, but he adjusted really well,” Angel said. “But the fact that he adjusted well made it easy for me to adjust.”
She also has a daughter, so every year when back to school comes around it can get expensive and stressful.
“Run around from store to store, so if they don’t have this you have to get that and go to this store,” she said.
There are 420 kinship families in Hamilton County, 260 of them have school-aged children.
That is why Hamilton County Job and Family Services is working to provide assistance through the Kindness for Kids school supply drive.
They’ve received 400 backpacks from Cincinnati’s OneSource Center and they’re now working to fill and distribute the supplies starting the second week of August.
“Typically, when JFS or Hamilton County removes children ultimately we want them to be placed with relatives as we know children do better with familiar places,” HCJFS Kinship Engagement Director Monika Brown said. “So this drive is to help support our kinship families and add some relief this season before school starts back.”
Pencils, notebooks, pens and folders are all necessary items, but with COVID-19 still a threat, cleaning supplies and masks are also a big help.
Every donation reduces costs for families.
“It takes away from the financial burden for our kinship families,” Brown said. “It lets them know we are here to support them. At some point, they didn’t feel like they were part of the team. But now we’re showing them that they’re part of the team, we’re here to help them however we can.”
The staff at JFS said they take great pride in helping make this happen for the families.
“I just have a passion for kids being connected to their family, staying connected to their community and making them feel safe and making them feel at home,” HCJFS 30 Days to Family Supervisor Brittanie Dudley said.
HCJFS is still accepting items through an Amazon wishlist, and supplies will be distributed through the end of the month for back-to-school.
It’s something Angel said is a huge help for families across the board.
“It may just sound like a backpack or some pencils and paper to somebody else but for some people that’s a huge deal for them,” Angel said.
Donations to the cause can be made through Amazon.
