Sherae Honeycutt

50 teens receive $200 for clothing to bridge the financial gap for foster
families

FosterAdopt Connect and advocate Sherae Honeycutt are teaming up to send 50 foster teens back to school in style. The ability to pick out clothing that makes teens in care feel confident is vital to their success. The first annual Sherae’s Style & Smile allows them to shop without burdening their families.

In 2023, nearly 700 teens were in foster care in Jackson County. Hundreds of families in the Kansas City metropolitan area become kinship placements for children and teens each year. These are grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends, and others who open their doors and lives to children they love, and some they meet for the first time. While the state can assist families with placement costs, the clothing allowance is reimbursed.

The State of Missouri provides $700 annually for clothing for youth 13 and up. However, their placement provider must pay for the items with out-of-pocket funds or on credit and wait to be reimbursed. Many of these families do not have access to either. Sherae’s Style & Shine aims to ease the burden of starting the school year on these families by giving 50 teens a $200 gift card to the store of their choice.

“As an advocate for foster teens, I’ve watched families struggle to cover the cost of food, clothing, and school supplies. Teens in foster care are often overlooked and seen as not needing the same amount of care as younger children. Teens need to feel good when they begin the school year. It is important for their relationships with peers and their ability to
concentrate on schoolwork. I hope this small gift helps them and their families feel supported, seen, and cared for. As a former foster teen, I know it can be hard,” said Sherae Honeycutt.

“When you are a kid in middle and high school, you most want to fit in, have friends, and not be perceived as different or weird. And when you’re a kid who is living with a relative, kinship provider, or foster parent, for any reason, on the inside, you are struggling with feeling like you don’t really belong in the house and family you’re living with, and frequently the new school you have to go to. Often, the caregivers who have taken you in have done so during a crisis and have stretched the resources they have to provide the basics,” said Lori Ross, President and CEO of FosterAdopt Connect. “So, an opportunity like this allows teens in care to get what they most want for the start of the school year. They may find that perfect outfit or get those expensive tennis shoes, but what they are really getting is the chance to start the school year feeling confident in their own skin and putting their best foot forward. This donation not only sets our kids up for success but also relieves the stress and burden of their caregivers.”

ABOUT FOSTER ADOPT CONNECT
FosterAdopt Connect’s mission is to provide foster and adoptive children with a stable, loving, and nurturing family environment by serving and advocating for abused and neglected children and the families caring for them. We recruit, support, and retain quality foster and adoptive homes for kids through training and direct services and implement programs that specifically respond to the needs of the most at-risk children in foster care.

ABOUT SHERAE’S STYLE & SMILE
Sherae’s Style & Smile, in partnership with FosterAdopt Connect, is dedicated to empowering Kansas City Metro foster teens with the confidence and pride that come from starting the school year in style. Our mission is to alleviate the financial burden on placement providers and ensure that every foster teen can step into the new school year with the dignity and self-assurance they deserve. Through this initiative, we strive to positively impact the lives of foster youth, helping them shine bright both inside and out.

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Media with questions may contact Josh Hollingsworth, President of Advancement for FosterAdoopt Connect, at Josh.Hollingsworth@fosteradopt.org.