Since 1988, Treehouse has been making a difference in the lives of King County Foster kids by providing services that fulfill key material needs, help them learn, and give them a real childhood as well as hope for the future. Among our enrichment and education services is the Treehouse Wearhouse. The State pays only $100 - $200 a year to clothe a growing child, a woefully inadequate amount for a growing youngster. Our Wearhouse fills this chronic gap by providing a free "store" with new and gently used clothes, shoes school supplies, books, toys, bikes—even computers.

The Wearhouse also makes sure that no child's birthday is forgotten—something that can and does happen as kids move from placement to placement. Through our Brighter Birthday program, kids coming to "shop" at the Wearhouse receive a special bag filled with goodies during the month of their birthday—cake mix, candles, party favors and age appropriate toys, essentially everything that's needed for their caregiver to acknowledge a youngster's special day.

We believe that Emotion Literacy Advocates' Full Spectrum Birthday Song CD would be a great addition to our Brighter Birthday bags. Our hope is to give one CD to each elementary school-aged child who comes through the Wearhouse—that translates to about 1,200 children whose birthdays would truly be brighter.

Deborah Edison
Development Director
Treehouse