Today we’d like to introduce you to Taryn.
Hi Taryn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My husband and I began our journey to become foster parents in 2021 and we were licensed and opened our home in 2022. Quickly after being licensed, we welcomed two brothers into our home. When they arrived, CPS provided us one extra outfit for each boy and a blanket. Those items were given to us in a plastic bag. Everything else was left up to us.
During the time we lived in Dallas and were blessed to have Puddin’ Pop, a local nonprofit that delivered custom clothing packages to kids in foster care. When our boys arrived, Puddin’ Pop gave each of our boys a bag packed with outfits, pajamas, diapers, books, and other necessities.
Those first few days to weeks were so overwhelming. We were getting to know these boys: how to love them, how to care for them, how to help them feel safe. On top of that, our home had become a revolving door of CPS workers, CASA workers and others involved in the boys’ care. We were also starting visitations with their bio parent, scheduling doctors appointments, getting them registered in daycare, and completing layers of paperwork.
Having Puddin’ Pop take one task off our plate – gathering clothes and other necessities – and DELIVERING it so we didn’t have to manage this with two young boys in tow was such a blessing!
In late 2024, we moved to the Houston area and I knew I wanted to find a way to get involved in supporting the foster care community again. I saw that while Houston has many wonderful foster closets, they typically require families to plan a shopping trip — and for parents managing a brand-new placement, that’s one more thing on an already full plate. I wanted to remove that step entirely and bring the help directly to their door.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being friends with the owner of Puddin’ Pop and having her guidance to start a nonprofit definitely helped me get started and avoid pitfalls.
However, growing a nonprofit from scratch hasn’t been smooth. One of the biggest challenges is building awareness in a space where donors already have long-standing, trusted relationships with existing foster closets. Earning that same trust as a new organization takes time.
We are still working to grow our awareness but over the months we have made some amazing connections in the community and our support is rapidly growing! One of our biggest connections was to a foster closet in another part of Houston that receives an overflow of donations for their space and was looking for another foster resource to share the donations with.
Our packages also include several items that we require to be brand new (backpacks, duffle bags, stuffed animals, blankets, socks, underwear). To fulfill these items we need donors willing to purchase the items or provide monetary donations to help us fill our inventory. Sometimes it has felt like we were barely scraping by but thankfully, as our reach has grown, we have met so many who support our cause and help us keep our stock full.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Fostering Threads was established as a nonprofit in May 2026, after running a pilot for 6 months.
Our core service is accepting and fulfilling package requests for foster kids in Harris, Montgomery, and Waller counties. Each child gets a new backpack or duffle bag, a comfort item – like a blanket or stuffed animal – several seasonal outfits, pajamas, new underwear and socks, age-appropriate books, and other goodies based on donations we receive. Foster parents are able to request new packages from us as the kiddos in their care grow or the seasonal needs change. Once assembled, we coordinate a drop-off time with the foster parents and our volunteers deliver it to their front porch.
We want each child to know that they are seen, valued and loved. The foster parents have an opportunity to share details about the kids’ likes and dislikes and then we aim to provide items we think they will love. One of my favorite packages was for a little boy who loved excavators. I had just received 2-3 shirts in his size that had construction equipment. I was so excited the timing worked out to where I could pack those for him.
As we grow, we hope to expand our services to seasonal programs like back-to-school drives and holiday gifting.
In addition to fulfilling the needs of local foster kids, we also want to be that bridge between the local community and foster families. We are looking to partner with businesses that offer services and discounted rates to foster families, to create a directory of supporters that foster families can rely on. This would range from a list of other local foster closets, to inspection and service companies that offer discounts for families getting licensed, to family entertainment venues offering discounted and free tickets.
Our brand, our mission, our services are centered on being a part of each foster family’s village. I understand firsthand that being a foster parent is something that can’t be done alone. The help needed is more than ‘let me know what I can do’ or ‘we are here for you’. It’s action, it’s stepping into the mess together, it’s telling foster parents we got you, and telling foster kids you are safe and loved.
Foster and kinship families in Harris, Montgomery, and Waller counties can request packages at fosteringthreads.org. We’d also love to connect with businesses and individuals looking to support local foster families — reach out to us at info@fosteringthreads.org to learn about volunteer, donations, and partnership opportunities.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I think it’s important to try out several networking groups before committing to one — each has its own personality, and it’s not going to be the right fit for everyone.
I also am a proponent of outsourcing skills you don’t enjoy and/or aren’t strong in. I still network and have started presenting, but to get there, I brought someone on to my team who excels at networking and has helped create opportunities for Fostering Threads.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fosteringthreads.org
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/fosteringthreads
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fosteringthreads
- Other: https://linktr.ee/fosteringthreads
