- Services
Core Services
Families First
Children and teens belong with their own families whenever possible. KVC works to safely reunify hundreds of families each year by providing parenting skills training, therapy and other support.
Caring People Needed
On any given day, KVC Kansas provides out-of-home care for thousands of children and teens. Relatives, non-related kin like teachers and neighbors, and foster parents are all critical to providing temporary care for these children and teens. See how you can make a difference as a foster parent.
- Get Involved
Children and Families Need You
Through KVC, you can strengthen families, prevent child abuse and neglect, and help create a bright future where every person is safe and connected to a strong family and a healthy community. Please join us today! Learn More
Help Children and Families in Need
- Explore the Best Ways to Get Involved
- Become a Foster Parent
- Explore Careers
- Donate Money or Basic Supplies
- Donate School Supplies
- Donate Holiday Gifts
- Involve Your Faith Community
- Volunteer
- Explore Internship & Practicum Opportunities
- Advocate Resources
- Download Parenting and Mental Health Resources
- Events
- Impact
- Resources
Overview
Our free resources help you stay informed and educated about foster care, child welfare, adoption, mental health and childhood trauma as well as how KVC Kansas is working toward building healthier communities.
- About Us
About KVC Kansas
KVC Kansas is a private, nonprofit organization that serves over 12,000 children, teens and adults each year. Our team of caring professionals provides family strengthening and foster care prevention services, foster care case management, family reunification services, foster family recruitment and support, kinship care, adoption, aftercare, outpatient therapy and more.
We envision a world in which every person is safe and connected to a strong family and a healthy community.
- Blog
Back-to-School Drive
Donate School Supplies for Children and Teens in Foster Care
Every child and teen deserves a chance to succeed. For youth in foster care, something as simple as a backpack filled with school supplies can make all the difference in their confidence and success. At KVC, we work hard to make sure every child and teen we serve has what they need to thrive at school. This summer, we invite you to be a part of that by donating new school supplies!
When you donate a backpack filled with school supplies, you’re giving more than just the basics. You’re giving kids and teens the sense that they belong — that they have what they need to succeed alongside their peers.
Your donation helps these kids and teens feel ready to take on the school year with confidence.
What Youth in Foster Care Need: 
- Sturdy backpacks
- Pencil bags/boxes
- Pencils
- Blue pens
- Black pens
- Red pens
- Pink erasers
- Highlighters
- Rulers
- 3-ring binders (2 inch)
- Plastic pocket folders
- Packs of loose-leaf paper
- Composition books
- Spiral notebooks
- Crayola markers
- Crayola colored pencils
- Crayola crayons (24 count)
- Bottles of glue
- Glue sticks
- Calculators
- Packs of lined index cards
- Bottles of hand sanitizer
- Box of facial tissues
How You Can Help
Donating a backpack or supplies may seem small, but it’s a huge gift to a child or teen in foster care. Here’s how you can make a difference:
1. Donate online or buy gift cards (Amazon, Walmart, Target) and we’ll do the shopping for you! All donations will go directly to the youth we serve.
2. Fill a backpack with supplies or donate individual items. We’ll handle the packing! Drop off your donations at your local KVC office.
Find your local office here or contact the Community Resource Specialist for your area:
- Topeka, Hiawatha & Lawrence: Chelsea Cox, ccox@kvc.org
- KC Metro & Ottawa: Jesi Kendall, jakendall@kvc.org
- Pittsburg, Chanute & Independence: Lance Wilson, lanwilson@kvc.org
- Wichita Metro: Melissa Medina, mmedina@kvc.org
3. Shop our Amazon wish list and have everything shipped directly to us. We’ll pack and distribute the supplies!
4. Host a donation drive with your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, church group, book club or community organization! Collect supplies and fill backpacks together – what a fun way to give back!
Meet Emma
Emma, a 14-year old girl in foster care, always felt different at school. She didn’t have the supplies her classmates had, and it made her feel left out. But last year, thanks to generous donors like you, Emma received a backpack filled with everything she needed. When she walked into class, she felt ready and like she could handle anything!
Not only did Emma have the right supplies, but she also had the chance to join the volleyball team. A caring donor like you helped cover the cost of the team registration, allowing Emma to explore her love for sports and build friendships with her classmates.
“Having my own backpack with all the supplies I needed made me feel like I belong,” Emma says. “I even got to join the volleyball team, something I’ve always wanted to do. It made me feel like I could do anything!”
Your donation does more than provide school supplies. It gives kids and teens like Emma the confidence to thrive in school and discover new passions.