CATAWBA COUNTY – Staff members at Catawba County Family Services are more than thankful for the donations for their hundreds of foster children.

“For us, we have more kids in foster care now than we've had in over 10 years. When I looked at the numbers for last year we've had a 30 percent increase of the number of kids in foster care at this time last year,” Megan Burns from the department says.

Many times the children come to them with nothing but the clothes on their back.

 “A lot of times we may get a call from police at 2 a.m., [saying] we have a child in an unsafe situation, social services needs to come,” Burns says.

So they keep this supply of emergency bags stocked with pajamas, tooth paste, hairbrush and other essentials in case of emergencies. Recently Frye Regional Hospital donated hundreds of shoes and socks.

 “Our needs change constantly just depends on the kids we have in care,” Burns says.

So Burns keeps a listserv of donors from the community when a need rises in caw a child needs things like cleats or want to go on a school field trip.

Staff says kinship families need special care.

“These are the families that get that random 2 a.m. call ‘hey grandma June my kids are coming in to care, can you take them?’” Hendrix Boags from family services says.

Boags says it could be anyone who has a relationship with the child versus a stranger foster family. 

If you would like to be added to the list-serv for Catawba County foster care donations, check here.​