Dignity from Day One.

Stocked directly in the foster care triage at MetroHealth, our Gap Pack and Busy Bee Bundle programs provide essential clothing and thoughtfully prepared activity kits so children entering foster care receive comfort and joy from the very beginning.

From hospital gown to a full outfit, we’re giving comfort and care from the very first moment.

Help Us Be Ready When They Arrive

3% Cover the Fee

  • When a child enters foster care, they may arrive with little or no clean, properly fitting clothing. Their clothing may also be removed for a variety of reasons, such as infestation or investigation purposes. Gap Packs bridge the child to the emergency curbside order Honey from the Rock provides, ensuring they have essentials right away and the dignity they deserve.

    Each Gap Pack includes an outfit, a pajama set, two pairs of underwear, two pairs of socks, and an extra bag for the clothes they arrived in if needed.

  • As a child or sibling set arrives in triage, caseworkers and MetroHealth providers focus on the important conversations and next steps ahead. Our Busy Bee Bundles are thoughtfully prepared, age-specific activity packs designed to keep hands and minds engaged during this uncertain time. These bundles also provide comfort and distraction during the transition from the hospital to placement.

    Each bundle is tailored by age and may include items such as fidgets, coloring books and supplies, and drawing tablets, offering children something of their own to hold onto during a difficult moment.

Cleveland.com article on the program launch

Read the full article here!

  • "I triaged a sibling set and the clothing they were wearing was extremely dirty, stained, and had holes. The Gap Packs were truly a lifesaver!"

    —MetroHealth Provider

  • "The young girl's pants had a hole in the knee so large that her older sister had tried gluing it back together. They all chose to put on the cozy pajamas"

    —MetroHealth Provider

  • "The children were placed together in a foster home out in Wooster, so the Busy Bee Bundles were perfect to give them for the long car ride"

    —MetroHealth Provider

  • "The teen was visibly uncomfortable and itchy from how soiled her clothing was. She was so grateful to be able to change and slip into something clean and cozy."

    —MetroHealth Provider

  • "I was able to bring them into the back and choose which Gap Pack they wanted based off which colors they preferred. That dignity of choice matters so much"

    —MetroHealth Provider

3% Cover the Fee

Help us be able to stock those triage shelves!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Every single child that enters the foster care system in Cuyahoga County will pass through MetroHealth’s foster care clinic. All of those children will receive a Busy Bee Bundle, with any child in need receiving a Gap Pack.

  • Gap Packs and Busy Bee Bundles are provided immediately upon entering foster care when children arrive at MetroHealth.

  • In those first moments, every item matters. Gap Packs and Busy Bee Bundles ensure that from the moment a child enters foster care, their basic needs are met and their dignity is protected. By providing essentials immediately, we ease the stress of transition and give children something of their own to hold onto during a difficult time.

    Every pack tells a child: you matter, you are cared for, and you deserve to start this new chapter with comfort and dignity.

  • You can donate financially, shop our wish list, or volunteer with us to prep these packs.

  • Numbers will shift month after month, but every single child entering foster care in Cuyahoga County receives a Busy Bee Bundle.

    One recent week 13 children received a Gap Pack.

  • Gap Packs and Busy Bee Bundles are stocked directly in MetroHealth’s foster care triage and provided by medical staff.