If you can, it’s best to have a room ready that is warm and inviting with a comforter and stuffed animal that are suitable to the child’s age. “You don’t want it to feel like an institution,” says Becky Story, Lighthouse Foster Care & Adoption Licensing Specialist, "but you also don’t want to be too specific in tastes so that the child perceives,“Wow, this is what they want me to be?”Give the child somewhere cozy to settle in, but then as you get to know one another ask,“What do you like?” Once settled in, let the child choose a few items—perhaps a new bedspread or some posters—to personalize their space.

Your help is needed! The holiday season can be particularly difficult for children and young people who can’t be with their families and for the families who are struggling each day to make ends meet. You can brighten their holidays by becoming a part of the Lighthouse Happy Holidays Gift Drive.