Jay Paul Deratany Leads Campaign for National Foster Care Month

Garbage bags are supposed to be for garbage, right?

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for the 437,000+ children in America’s foster care system.

When these kids enter foster care or are shuffled from home to home, they are typically given a plastic trash bag to transport their belongings. What kind of a message is this sending them? That the few precious possessions they have are nothing but trash?

Chicago attorney, Jay Paul Deratany, founder of Deratany & Kosner, is determined to change this.

With May being National Foster Care Month, the screenwriter and producer of the award-winning film, Foster Boy (co-produced with basketball legend, Shaquille O’Neal), has launched a campaign to collect luggage, duffel bags and backpacks for three Chicago-area non-profits that are dedicated to giving foster kids a better life: Families Helping Families Chicagoland, Fill a Heart 4 Kidsand One Hope United.

Hauling trash bags to a new "home" isn't a one-time occurrence. Most children in foster care move from family to family several times, never knowing where they will end up. Being handed a trash bag is horribly sad and can be very embarrassing for these kids, especially those old enough to understand.

“Foster care children are everyone’s children,” said Deratany, who has fought tirelessly for the rights of kids in foster care. “They need to feel loved, appreciated, and valued,” he added. “A simple gesture like providing a suitcase or a duffel bag that they can call their own may help show them that their personal items deserve the same respect and care as they do. They deserve to carry their belongings with dignity and self-confidence, not in a trash bag.”

One adult, who lived in 14 different foster homes as a child, said this, “When my things were packed in trash bags, it sent a very clear message that my belongings were not valuable, and I figured, if my things were not valuable, then neither was I.”

Based on their immediate needs and the ages of the foster care children they serve, Deratany and his team created Amazon Wish Lists for each of the three recipient organizations. “It’s been wonderful to see so many items being purchased,” said Deratany. “We are thankful that the community has been so supportive of this effort," he added. "Thanks to them, we are making a difference in the lives of foster kids."

For more information about Deratany’s initiative to collect luggage, duffel bags, backpacks and other necessities for foster children, please visit: https://lawinjury.com/national-foster-care-month/