There are currently more than 13,000 kids in foster care in Texas, and according to the National CASA / GAL Association nationally, every 45 seconds, a child is transitioned into a new home and away from what they know. Children often must place their possessions in an old backpack, a grocery bag, or whatever may be handy at the moment.
We believe that all children deserve the opportunity to have dignity through this life-altering transition, and thankfully, the state of Texas also recognizes that!
It is now a legal requirement for kids who are removed from home and placed in care to be provided with a piece of luggage. While 2INgage has been working for years to provide items such as this to kids, we invite you to join us in this effort to ensure each kid is well taken care of.
We aim to collect 2,000 brand-new suitcases to provide luggage for kids in care for an entire year.
Thank you for joining us in our mission!
2 ways to donate:
đ CLICK HERE TO SHOP OUR AMAZON WISHLIST!
đ Drop off a (new) suitcase at one of the in-person locations on our luggage drive day on February 13, 2024.
Drop-off locations:
Abilene:
Pizza Hut: 2750 S. 14th Street, Abilene, TX 79605
Pizza Hut: 550 E. Ambler Ave., Abilene, TX 79601
Pizza Hut: 24 Hospital Dr., Abilene, TX 79606
Brownwood:
Pizza Hut: 1301 Austin Ave, Brownwood, TX 76801
Wichita Falls:
Colonial Church: 4300 Maplewood Ave, Wichita Falls, TX 76308
Blue Skies: 917 Midwestern Parkway, Wichita Falls, TX 76302
In November, 2INgage also hosted and facilitated several National Adoption Day courthouse celebrations and events. These celebrations were done in partnership with local Child Welfare Boards, CASA, and DFPS partners. On November 2, families were celebrated in Brownwood with a camping theme as the âAdventure Begins.â Any family who adopted during the last year in Wichita Falls and the surrounding counties were invited to a celebration at Texoma Fun House on November 12. The final celebration occurred on November 16 in Abilene, where families were invited to a night of fun at the First Baptist Family Life Center. A celebration also occurred at the Taylor County Courthouse on November 17, where 8 children were adopted into 4 families.
2INgage has celebrated 200+ adoptions in 2023!
Finding Permanency
2INgage set out to find permanency for 182 children/youth who had been identified in their intended to be permanent placement. Of those children, 127, or 69.78% of them, successfully exited care into permanency. 2INgageâs efforts doubled from the previous 2 fiscal years.
Rising Sons Boys Ranch is in the process of developing. Billy Pate, the Pastor of River Assembly of God in Burkburnett, Texas, stated he advocates for the children in foster care. He and his wife said the goal is to create a facility for 6th-12th grade boys on 55 acres in Burkburnett. Billy stated when he speaks to other churches or people in general, he shares statistics of children in foster care, and he helps them walk through the process of becoming licensed, so they donât get discouraged. He will travel anywhere in Texas.  He stated they have been working with A World for Children to get the families licensed. He stated they currently have an after-school program in the Spring and Fall for any young boy who needs a positive role influence. Billy stated they have had 25-30 foster kids that have gone through his church. He stated that this program launched in 2021 and he doesnât recall any foster children prior. Billy stated that he and his wife are not foster parents yet, but they do plan on fostering after their home is built. He stated that Rising Sons is its own 501 c3 and is not part of his church.
Upcoming Events:
Foster Care 101 Sessions – Held every Monday of the month.
Register HERE!
Foster Parenting 101 is the result of a collaboration with the Child Placing Agencies in Region 2 and 2INgage (the Single Source Continuum contractor with the state of Texas) to inform interested families. These meetings are on a rotation between these agencies to present a neutral PowerPoint about the foster care system, the great need, and the statistics of our area. Join us to learn more and discover what is right for you
