For children placed in foster care, every day is already uncertain. At Christmastime, that difficulty is only compounded.
Paige Bramlett sees it every day. A behavior interventionist for Franklin Community Schools, many of the students she works with come from the foster care system. They’ve left hard home situations, and suffered traumas through much of their lives. The holidays often weren’t very pleasant for them in the past, and in their new homes, they rarely find the gifts they wanted under the tree, if they get any presents at all.
Hearing from kids who didn’t get anything they wished for at Christmas breaks Bramlett’s heart.
“It’s amazing hearing from kids who haven’t even ever had a Christmas tree in their home,” she said. “They might not have any traditions for Christmas; if they’re in different homes every year, maybe they have five different traditions to get used to. It’s just very hard for them.”
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So Bramlett decided to do what she could to help. The 23-year-old Morgantown resident, who is also a part-time professional photographer, offered her services to local families and clients for special holiday photo sessions. All of the money raised through the shoots would go toward supporting area foster children this holiday season.
After the photo session was completed on Dec. 7, she had $1,000, all of which she’s been using to buy toys, clothes and other wish-list items for Johnson County families.
“Just knowing that they’ll have some of the things that they’ve asked for, it’s overwhelming. It’s a feeling of peace, knowing that I can give back,” she said.
The foster care system in Johnson County, and throughout Indiana, remains overwhelmingly burdened. In October alone, Johnson County had 109 children placed in out-of-home foster care, including 40 kids placed in homes outside of relatives.
Those kids are struggling with negativity and abuse that they’ve experienced in their young lives, Bramlett said.
“I had that personal connection of working with those kids, and I have a few friends who are foster parents. Seeing it from inside the school and outside, in the homes, you see how real trauma and (post-traumatic stress disorder) can be for those kids,” she said.
When children are placed in their homes with very little warning, foster families often struggle to get children the everyday clothing, furniture and other basic needs they often go without, Bramlett said.
Christmas gets even more difficult, she said.
The holidays are a time when kids should be happy, Bramlett said. Her goal was to find a way to make a small impact for a few of the children and families she works with through the schools.
Putting her photography skills to use, she offered a discounted package of holiday-themed family photos to her customers. She added a disclaimer that all of the money from the shoots was for charity.
“I know there are many families that want pictures at the holidays, and so many photographers charge so much for family pictures,” she said. “So I came up with this idea … ‘Take pictures of your family to bless another family’ idea. That was my motto.”
Bramlett photographed 10 families on Dec. 7. Many not only paid for the sessions, but chipped in more or offered to go shopping for other foster children to help.
“The response was so overwhelming,” she said.
With the money she made and the additional donations, Bramlett has been busy fulfilling the lists made by some of the foster children she’s encountered on the job. She’s used contacts such as family friends and a network of fellow foster parents who have passed on some needs of Franklin-area foster kids.
“It’s been pretty cool to personally shop for some of the kids I work with, knowing what their wish list is,” she said. “It’s nice having that personal touch.”
Bramlett has scoured the stores for the most-wanted toys of the season, and has also picked out new clothes and coats. Many of the lists she’s gotten have included boots and other warm-weather gear, she said.
As she’s been shopping and collecting items, she’s already dropped off some of the gifts through her connections in the foster care community.
Her family is also working with Megan’s Fund, a Johnson County charity that raises money and supports kids in need. Bramlett’s family will be sponsoring two foster kids through that effort as well.
Though she is still buying items and fulfilling the lists she has, Bramlett has already been able to give some of the items to children.
“I’m a very impatient giver,” she said. “Seeing their faces light up when they got something as simple as a sweatshirt has been an amazing feeling.”
