Oklahoma Nonprofit Collaborates with DHS to Provide Holiday Gifts to Foster Children

The Oklahoma Child Advocacy Institute is working with the state Department of Human Services to ensure children in foster care have gifts to open on Christmas morning.

DHS provides foster parents with a $150 gift card for each child in state custody. With nearly 6,000 children in foster care in Oklahoma, the agency recently asked for additional help to provide an extra 200 gift cards this year.

The Oklahoma Child Advocacy Institute was able to secure most of the cards, but about 20 are still missing.

Joe Dorman, CEO of the Oklahoma Child Advocacy Institute, says it can be a traumatic experience for children placed in foster care, so this program helps provide some hope and comfort to children in need.

“Unless someone has actually been in foster care and gone through the traumatic experience of being removed from home, you can’t imagine what it’s like,” Dorman said. “These kids are having the worst experience of their lives, and for some of them, it’s right before the holidays.”

The deadline to donate gift cards to ensure they arrive in time for Christmas is December 22nd. The remaining money will be used to purchase backpacks and school supplies for foster children next summer.

Those who want to contribute can visit the association’s website. HERE.