Visit or Contact the Franklin County Foster Closet
Mailing Address: 500 Clark Avenue, Ste C, Union, MO
Physical Address: 500 Clark Avenue, Door C12 (in the back of the building), Union, MO
Email: franklincofostercloset@gmail.com
Shopping Hours
Tuesdays & Thursdays 10-2
2nd Saturdays 10-Noon
NEW PLACEMENTS: Caseworkers have 24/7 access to the closet via a shared scan card at Children’s Division. Foster and Relative Placement Providers with NEW placements within the last week, can be given emergency access to the closet Monday through Friday 9-5. Placement letter required.
FAQs
Yes! We received our 501c3 nonprofit status in May of 2021. We can provide a receipt for donations if you need one for your taxes. We can also provide our EIN for Qualified Charitable Distributions.
Our funding comes from a variety of sources. In the past we have received one-time funding from Franklin County Community Resource Board, Franklin County Area United Way, local churches, civic organizations, individuals and businesses. We have had multiple groups do fundraisers and donation drives! In short, we are funded by the generosity of our community! Our largest contributor takes advantage of their employers matching program each year!
What are your current needs?
We are continually blessed by our community in their generosity to donate clothing and essential items for our kiddos. This past year we moved to a larger space (in the same building) and with that came increased expenses. Our biggest need right now is general funding. Please consider donating monthly or annually to help us support our community’s most vulnerable children. We almost always have an Amazon list linked to our homepage to help us communicate which items we currently need.
Where can I leave donations?
Donations are accepted during our regular hours listed above. Please DO NOT leave donations by our interior or exterior doors. We want to be good tenants of our building. Leaving items outside our doors is a violation of our lease and could jeopardize our existence. Please do not do this.
What happened to the donation lockers?
When we moved locations in the building, we decided not to continue with the donation lockers. Donations can now be dropped off during our regular business hours.
It’s true. Foster parents do receive state funding for the kids in their care. However, a foster family may wait up to 45 days after they receive a child in placement before they receive their first payment from the State. As you may imagine, most foster kids enter their new foster family homes with a small number of personal belongings. Many enter their new home with just the clothing they are wearing at the time. Oftentimes, foster families receive little advance notice of a child’s arrival. The need for funding for clothing and personal items for the child is highest at the time of placement. Children need a bed, dresser, and clothing immediately. Depending on the child’s age, they may also need a carseat, baby supplies, diapers, school and other supplies right away. The Foster Closet is here to meet the immediate needs of families as they accept a new child into their homes.
We suggest that the families we serve delay spending their state clothing stipend right away. Kids, like many adults, may have strong opinions regarding the clothes they wear. We don’t want families to “waste” their clothing stipend by buying clothes for a child they don’t know. We suggest they take a starter set of clothes (for free) and over time learn about the child’s likes and dislikes. Does the child prefer dresses and leggings? Would she rather have athletic shorts and T-shirts? Is he super frustrated by buttoning jeans, so athletic pants are better suited for him? We want to enable foster families to spend their clothing allowance dollars wisely once they know the children in their care.
How can I learn more about becoming a foster parent?
Fostering Franklin was established in 2023 with the primary intention of recruiting quality foster homes. You may contact them with any questions about fostering or to set up a speaking engagement where they can share the need for foster homes with a larger group. Contact Taylor Grubbs at (636) 584-6393.
Below are the two organizations that license foster parents in Franklin County, MO:
- Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division: Contact Taylor Grubbs at the 20th Circuit Children’s Division at (636) 584-6393.
- Lutheran Family Children’s Services: Go to LFCSMO.org and click on the Foster Parenting tab. Fill out an intake form and a resource worker will then reach out to you to answer any questions and to explain the process of becoming a foster parent.