When children enter the foster care system, they often move with their belongings in garbage bags. This is not a minor detail — carrying your life in a trash bag when you're already in crisis is a specific kind of humiliation. Several organizations work to ensure every child in foster care has real luggage. Here's where your suitcases go and why it matters.
Children enter foster care in emergency situations — removed from their homes by child protective services, sometimes at night, sometimes with only minutes to gather belongings. Many have very little to bring. For those who do have clothing and personal items, moving in a garbage bag signals that their belongings — and by extension, they themselves — don't matter enough for a real bag. A suitcase or backpack is a concrete signal of dignity. Several foster care organizations have made this a priority.
Comfort Cases (comfortcases.org) is a national nonprofit specifically focused on providing backpacks filled with comforting items for children entering foster care. They don't just need empty bags — they fill them with stuffed animals, blankets, books, toiletries, and activities. They accept suitcase and backpack donations and coordinate with foster care agencies nationwide. Use their website to find drop-off points or to learn how to organize a packing event.
Together We Rise (togetherwewise.org) runs the Sweet Cases program, distributing backpacks and duffel bags to foster children. They accept financial donations for purchasing new bags and sometimes accept donated bags directly — check their website for current donation logistics.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs operate in most US counties, providing volunteer advocates for children in foster care. Many local CASA programs have connections to organizations that distribute backpacks and bags to foster children, or run their own supply programs. Find your local CASA through casaforchildren.org and ask about luggage donation programs.
Your county's Department of Social Services or child welfare agency may coordinate directly with foster placement workers who know the exact needs. Call and ask who in the agency handles donations for children in placement. Some agencies have specific drop-off programs; others will connect you with a volunteer organization that does.
Many communities have "foster care closets" — supply organizations that stock clothing, hygiene products, and gear for children in placement. Search "foster care closet" plus your city or county. These organizations almost universally need luggage and backpacks. They often stock new and used items and distribute directly to foster families and placement workers.
Last updated May 2026. Comfort Cases at comfortcases.org. Together We Rise at togetherwewise.org. CASA finder at casaforchildren.org. Errors: [email protected]
When a child enters foster care, the removal from their home is often sudden. Social workers who arrive for emergency removals face an immediate problem: the child needs to take their belongings somewhere, and most families don't have suitcases easily available. Without proper luggage, children's possessions — clothes, school supplies, the stuffed animal they've had since they were two — get packed into whatever is available: grocery bags, garbage bags, cardboard boxes.
An estimated 30–40% of foster children still transport their belongings in garbage bags as of recent surveys by organizations in the field. This is not only undignified — it communicates something to the child about how their belongings (and by extension, they) are valued. Organizations like Comfort Cases were founded specifically to address this problem.
Comfort Cases (comfortcases.org) was founded in 2013 by Rob Scheer, a former foster child who became a foster parent. The organization provides backpacks and rolling bags filled with comfort items — pajamas, stuffed animals, hygiene products, a book — to children entering the foster care system. They distribute through foster care agencies across the US and have provided over 50,000 cases to date.
To donate a suitcase to Comfort Cases: check their website for their current preferred types (they generally accept rolling suitcases in child-friendly sizes and colors), pack it with the items on their wishlist if possible, and mail or drop off at their Maryland headquarters or a local affiliate. They have volunteer assembly events in multiple cities where donated bags are packed with supplies.
Together We Rise (togetherwerise.org) runs the Sweet Cases program, which provides duffel bags decorated by volunteers with iron-on patches and personal touches for foster youth. They focus on making the bag feel personal and special, not just functional. Monetary donations support the program; they also accept volunteer time for bag decoration events.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs exist in most US counties and work directly with foster children. Many CASA programs coordinate luggage and supply donations for children on their caseloads. Search "CASA [your county]" to find your local program, then call to ask if they accept suitcase donations and what sizes are most useful.
Your county's child protective services or department of children and family services may also be able to direct suitcase donations to foster care workers who can distribute them during placements. Call the agency's main line and ask specifically about donation protocols for foster care supplies.
Children in foster care range from infants to teenagers, but the most common placement ages are school-age children (6–12). For this age group, medium rolling suitcases with extending handles and easy-zip closures work well. Backpacks are also heavily requested — an age-appropriate backpack serves double duty as school bag and luggage.
Avoid very large suitcases (difficult for children to manage) and very small cosmetic cases (too limited for belongings). Bright colors and fun patterns are preferred over basic black and navy — they make the bag feel more personal and less institutional.
Gently used suitcases in good condition are generally accepted. Check zippers, handles, and wheels before donating — a broken-wheeled suitcase is worse than no suitcase because it creates false hope and then fails. Hard-shell cases can be harder for young children to close and open reliably; soft-sided cases with multiple compartments tend to work better.