T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM Stephanie Hansen hangs up some new clothes donated to the Laurel Community Church foster closet. The closet opened one month ago, and is solely for foster children within a 50-mile radius and the families who take them in.

LAUREL — Taking on a foster child can happen suddenly, and many times those foster children come to the family with nothing. Maybe they have a trash bag filled with a few articles of clothing.

Knowing the situation those children and the families face, Stephanie Hansen created a closet at the Laurel Community Church dedicated solely for foster children and the other children — biological, foster or adopted — of families who take them in.

Hansen and her husband, the church’s pastor Matt, said foster care has always been in their hearts, and they got the idea for the foster closet in July.

“He has an adopted sibling. I have an adopted sibling,” she said. “His grandparents fostered over a dozen kids when Matt was growing up. There’s not anything like this here.”

Being a part of the foster care system, Hansen said they could see the need.

“We saw people in our lives where a kid came in, and they had nothing,” she said. “They would come with a trash bag with clothes that were too big or too small. We’ve known people who had little ones that came in just a diaper. They had nothing. We saw the need. It’s an emergency. Some people don’t have the money to go to Walmart at midnight to buy everything the child needs.”

In the 30 days since it opened, 10 Marshall County families have been served. Hansen hopes to increase the number of families within a 50-mile radius, but is happy with the number so far.

“It’s a good start,” she said.

In order to utilize the closet, Hansen said the foster parents need to provide proof of a license from the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS), or a letter from a DHS worker. Due to the suddenness with which some foster children are placed, Hansen said the closet hours are by appointment only.

Located in a lower level room of the church, the closet has children’s clothes ranging in size, coats, shoes, car seats, booster chairs, backpacks or duffel bags, school supplies, diapers and wipes. Hansen said they are in the process of obtaining more new shoes and underwear.

“Since we are just starting, right now it’s mainly shirts, pants and a couple coats,” she said.

The closet primarily has items for little girls and boys, she said. More clothes for teenage foster children are needed. Hansen hopes to acquire more of the larger sizes of clothing, especially since she said teenagers are the age group which seem to end up in foster care more often.

“It breaks my heart,” she said. “Teenagers are hard. They come with a lot of baggage and it’s not their fault. They come with trauma and turmoil and behaviors because of that. Then sibling groups are hard because there’s not a lot of homes that can take them.”

Hansen wanted the items to be brand new or like new. Since she is the only person working in the closet, Hansen said she does not have the time to ensure all of the donations are clean, free of holes and wear and tear. Most of the clothes in the closet have price tags on them.

“I have told everyone it has to be in like-new condition,” she said. “We don’t take anything that has been played in.”

For many foster children getting something new is important, Hansen said.

“I think they need that,” she said.

The items are organized on racks and shelves to give the foster children an experience similar to shopping. There is also a room next door for the children to try on their new clothes, similar to a dressing room, Hansen said.

On Saturday, she said some foster girls were brought to the closet, and showed joy and elation for the trip.

“They were so excited to be shopping,” Hansen said. “They looked at it as shopping, because everything was brand new with tags. It seemed like they had never had that. They had something that’s their own, and didn’t have to share it.”

She hopes the closet will acquire financial supporters and sponsors which will provide more opportunities for the foster children to obtain new things. Hansen hopes the closet will also eventually provide high chairs, baby bathtubs, jumpers and hygiene products.

“Diapers are so expensive right now,” Hansen said. “Kids grow like crazy and new shoes are expensive. I would love for the kids to have a stuffed animal and a blanket if they need one. My hope would be to grow to where everything single need a foster family has when a child is first placed, they can come get.”

FOSTER CLOSET:

Location: Laurel Community Church, 209 S. Main St., Laurel

Hours: By appointment only

Phone number: 641-476-3417

Email: stephkhansen@yahoo.com

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.