No Child Should Carry Their Life in a Trash Bag: Kay’s Carry-On Gives Foster Kids Hope on Wheels
By Michelle Ruschman
When children in foster care are forced to leave their homes because of dire circumstances or because they’ve aged out, they are provided with garbage bags to transport their personal items. What’s also used to hold food scraps, used tissue and discarded mail will now carry the clothes, toiletries and personal treasures of children who have already endured so much. No person should feel their things are being treated like trash, especially a child who has already experienced the unpredictability of fear, trauma and displacement. Area local, Dr. Kay Kizer, veteran, author and founder of Kay’s Carry-On, has made it her mission to help children in foster care have more dignity, hope and respect. “When a child is removed from a home, they are provided with two black trash bags to transport their belongings. To me, that’s just so demeaning, and I know that from personal experience. I grew up in the foster care system and I have been a foster mom.”
Dr. Kizer believes it was divine inspiration that Kay’s Carry-On became Dr. Kizer’s mission. “The Lord was specific about it being rolling luggage. It means even a five-year-old can handle their luggage, because the wheels help them pull easily. Whether they have to get into a case worker’s car or arrive at a bus terminal, train station or airport, they’re ready with luggage and not just trash bags. It’s making sure that they have some sense of comfort that their belongings are secure and don’t look like something that is being thrown away.
Dr. Kizer’s goal is to have a carry-on program in every state, so that others will grow this idea wherever they live. “All they have to do is have someone be in charge of collecting. It’s a wonderful thing to help children this way and it can get a community excited to do this together.”
Not only does Dr. Kizer encourage the collection of carry-ons, but she also hopes these children can get some essentials, especially those who age out of the system at age 18. “For the young ones, stuffed animals are always a source of comfort. But, at any age, blankets, toothbrushes and toothpaste, towels and face cloths, and Bibles are also needed. I’ve even given a child their favorite cereal with their name on it so they had some sense of ownership and familiarity.”
Dr. Kizer also hopes that having a rolling carry-on will provide more security. “Foster children can go through multiple moves, and each time there is the possibility of theft or loss in the displacement. If a child has to move in the middle of the night, they know that luggage is theirs and their belongings can be secured with a simple lock. A trash bag can’t provide that.”
Donated luggage is given to foster homes, shelters and foster parent agencies. With this in mind, Dr. Kizer is grateful for every donation, but encourages people who are thinking of donating luggage, to bring “like new,” if not brand new. “Of course, each donation that is given is wonderful. But, we want to make sure that each piece of luggage that is presented to a child reflects that they are valuable, not just something second-hand. In a moment of upheaval, the hope is that it will be seen as a gift that reflects that they’re cherished.”
To partner with her organization or donate to Kay’s Carry-On, visit www.kayscarryon.org. If you have any questions, or you’re an author who would like to contribute to her anthology series, The Faces of Foster Care (found on Amazon), contact Dr. Kizer by emailing kaykizer3@gmail.com or calling 936-240-8762.
