For the Reporter

The first day of school brings feelings of excitement and enthusiasm for most kids. But for foster children, it can bring uneasiness about starting over at a new school, making new friends, fitting in and keeping up with classwork.

Stats suggest that a foster child loses about six months of academic progress with every school change.

To help, local mattress retailer, Sleep Train, is asking its community to support these children as they start a new school year. The company offers a simple template for donating to its annual School Supply Drive for Foster Kids, which runs from July 11 to Sept. 4.

All donations will be distributed to local nonprofit foster partner organizations.

Already shopping? Looking for a way your organization can give back? Consider purchasing a few of these most needed items for local foster children: backpacks, three-ring binders, packs of pens and pencils, flash drives, multi-subject notebooks and loose leaf paper.

Bring your newly purchased items to your nearest Sleep Train store. Find your community store using the store locator at www.sleeptrain.com.

Spread the word to your friends and family and encourage them to donate! Consider partnering with co-workers or neighbors to host your own School Supply Drive. Find all the materials you need to host a drive at www.sleeptrainfosterkids.org.