Family Care
Supporting families
within the child welfare system.
WHAT WE DO?
Our heart is to support families and children within the child welfare system.
This includes foster, adoptive, kinship caregivers, and reunified families.
Children's Lantern works diligently to provide tangible and needed resources to the families we serve, as well as providing support by way of connecting with children and caregivers through activities, events, and emotional support on a continual basis.
Hope Closet
Being a foster, adoptive, or kinship caregiver can be overwhelming at times. We understand the demands on time, money, and resources can be great when caring for children in the welfare system. Children's Lantern provides items free of charge through our Hope Closet.
At Hope Closet, youth & their caregivers are encouraged to shop for needed items which may include new pajamas, shoes, socks, underwear, diapers/wipes, hygiene items, and gently used or new seasonal clothing. Through our boutique-themed setup, we aim to boost a child's confidence & self esteem as they "shop" for the essentials in a quiet and welcoming environment. We strive to let our children know they are so loved, cared for, and known.
Have an emergency placement or just not able to come up and shop? We understand! Contact us with your current needs and we will gather available items and arrange for pickup.
We also host an annual Back to School Bash where children receive new backpacks, school supplies, shoes, and haircuts - absolutely free.
In the event that we are not able to fulfill a request for crucial clothing/hygiene items, we are able to give out gift cards on an as-needed basis.
Hope Closet Request Form
Caregiver request for Hope House Boutique resources.
Please fill out form in its entirety.
We will do our best to contact you within 2-4 days of request to arrange an appointment/pick up time.
Our office is located at 930 S. Clinton Street. Defiance, OH 43512
WEIGHTED BLANKETS
They are filled with poly beads that actually make them have weight. The purpose of a weighted blanket is to give the feeling of "being hugged" when wrapped in one, which is also called deep pressure touch stimulation. This is very helpful for individuals that have experienced trauma, have sensory needs or special needs indicating the need for deep pressure touch stimulation. We've seen fantastic results within the families we work with. We are blessed to be able to offer these blankets to those in need!
We have amazing groups of ladies that show love by volunteering their time and efforts to make them. We collect donations to cover the poly beads and fabrics. Our weighted blankets are available in weight increments of 3lbs, 5lbs, 8lbs, and 10lbs. When choosing a size, it is recommended that the blanket weight be 10% of the person's body weight. Currently, we offer these to kids in foster care, kinship care, those adopted, and reunifying families. We also offer them to the trafficking survivors.
Fill out application below for a weighted blanket.