Back to School Supply Drive
Youth in foster care face significant challenges that reduce their academic opportunities and make it more challenging to achieve success. Insecure housing, switching schools, weak community supports, and compounding challenges widen the opportunity and achievement gaps for these young people, creating real differences in outcomes:
- 25% of NYC foster youth who started high school in 2015 graduated in 4-years (an improvement from 2008 when 15% of youth graduated, but still below the 77% rate for the general population)
- 43% of NYC foster youth above the age of 16 miss more than half the school year
- More than 1 in 5 NYC foster youth repeat a grade (compared with 1 in 13 for general population)
- Roughly 40% of NYC foster students have a disability
- Less than 3% of foster youth graduate from a 4-year college
The thousands of foster youth in NYC schools must overcome high hurdles to thrive, but these challenges are far from insurmountable.
By donating school supplies, you can strengthen our community by helping kids have a fresh start this fall with the tools they need to succeed.
Interested in getting involved?
- Donate online by Aug 19: Shop our online wishlist of supplies here. In addition to the items you donate, 5% of the retail value of items will be gifted back to The Foundling.
- Donate in-person by Aug 26: Drop off supplies to The Foundling’s Chelsea headquarters at 590 Ave of the Americas by August 26. See below for a flyer with a list of supplies we are collecting.
- Start your own campaign: Click ‘Join Now’ on our online drive page to create your own drive, set a goal, and ask your friends, families, and coworkers to donate.
For questions, contact Laura Wright at laura.wright@nyfoundling.org or 212-886-4087.
