Adopt A High School Senior

celebrate their educational success

The Adopt a Senior from Foster Care is our annual campaign dedicated to celebrating the incredible achievement of foster youth graduating high school and beyond. With very few youth reaching this milestone, these students often lack the family and community support many take for granted. Through this campaign, we recognize their resilience by providing each senior with high-quality gifts mentioned below.

What is “Adopt a Senior from Foster Care”?

  • Sponsoring a senior through Day 1 Bags means giving a foster youth the recognition, encouragement, and practical support they deserve as they graduate high school—a milestone less than 50% of foster youth achieve.
  • Each sponsorship directly supports one graduating youth with a thoughtful and empowering gift package that includes:
    • $100 gift card
    • Stanley Tumbler
    • Life Kits (first aid kits, phone chargers, hygiene essentials, laundry kits, etc.)
    • High-quality duffle bags and backpacks
    • Handmade quilts
    • Personal notes of encouragement
    • And more items tailored to their needs and next steps
  • We collaborate with child welfare agencies and caseworkers to ensure each gift is not only meaningful, but also useful as these young adults prepare for college, jobs, or independent living.

How Can You Help?

Sponsor

a Senior

Donate

Donate

Gift

Cards

Sew or Donate

Handmade

Quilts

Create

Zipper

Pouches

Host a

Supply

Drive

Make an

In-Kind

Donation

FAQs

Sponsoring a senior through Day 1 Bags is a powerful way to recognize and uplift a foster youth who has reached a milestone that fewer than 50% achieve—high school graduation. Many of these students lack consistent family or community support. Your sponsorship provides encouragement, dignity, and tangible tools to help them step into adulthood with confidence.

Each sponsorship ensures a graduating senior receives a thoughtfully curated gift package that includes:

    • $100 gift card
    • Stanley Tumbler
    • Life Kit with hygiene products, phone charger, first aid items, and more
    • A high-quality duffle bag and backpack
    • A handmade quilt
    • A personal note of encouragement
    • …and additional items tailored to their needs.

YES! When completing your sponsorship, you can indicate your preferred location or region, and we will do our best to match your donation accordingly.

Unfortunately, no. Due to privacy and child welfare regulations, we are unable to facilitate direct communication between sponsors and youth. However, you are welcome to include an anonymous encouragement card or note that will be delivered with your gift.

YES! Day 1 Bags is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. A donation receipt will be provided for your records

GIVE WITH CONFIDENCE

We firmly believe and take stewardship over your financial donations seriously. 92 cents of every dollar donated to the Day 1 Bags goes towards directly serving youth experiencing foster care and at-risk youth.