ARE YOU A FOSTER PARENT IN THE 37TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT?
WE'RE GLAD YOU ARE HERE!
SAFE SLEEP INITIATIVE
FUNDING PROVIDED BY HEART OF THE OZARKS UNITED WAY
Safe sleep practices are critical components for the safety and well-being of all children. The most recent available data shows that safe sleep practices can prevent many cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). For children
in foster care, Missouri requirements state that each child in care must have a separate bed. For many foster
parents, the unexpected placement of a child and the short notice to prepare can prove to be a hectic time. The
Safe Sleep Initiative through The Chaos Closet hopes to make this transition easier for children in foster care
and foster parents alike by providing cribs or bassinets to ensure all children entering foster care have a safe
place to sleep.
With funding proudly received through a grant from Heart of the Ozarks United Way, The Chaos Closet will build a safe-sleep library of items consisting of cribs, crib mattresses, crib sheets, and bassinets to lend to foster families to promote safe-sleep practices.
Items will be "checked out" by foster families to use in caring for children in foster care.
Once the child outgrows the item or reunification occurs, items will be returned to The Chaos Closet to be cleaned, sanitized, and returned to our library of safe-sleep gear in preparation for the next foster family.
The safe-sleep items through this initiative will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
UNDIES FOR ALL
While The Chaos Closet may take donations of gently used clothing items, one thing we do not accept in used condition is underwear. Because children often enter foster care with only the clothing on their backs, the need for clean, new underwear for each child is one that is often overlooked and remains the one item always in short supply. The goal of this project is to ensure every local child in foster care has access to the dignity of clean underwear. Funding for this initiative is provided by Community Foundation of West Plains.