When Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina knew that we would be serving children and families in the foster care system—children coming into the child welfare system through Healthy Blue Care Together—we knew it was important to think about what they needed from the very beginning.

And that's why we worked with Comfort Cases.

[Screen text] Kristy Kent – Associate VP of County Engagement, Blue Cross NC    

Comfort Cases is a bag of hope and dignity, as I say it. There are 400 to 500 kids in the state of North Carolina who enter foster care each month.

[Screen text] Rob Scheer – Founder, Comfort Cases

For me, it was about eliminating the trash bag—the stigma of a child having to put their belongings in something like this. It's not acceptable.

Today, we were here with Comfort Cases, with community volunteers, and with our elected officials to pack 300 cases for children across the Triad.

[Screen text] Dr. Sarah Norris – CEO, Crossnore

When children enter foster care, they experience a variety of challenges. Part of it stems from what they came from—things still on their minds that they’re still managing. Helping them navigate those pieces is one of the most important things we can do.

Today, we're also launching Pathway to Comfort, our statewide program for any organization serving children coming into the foster care system and DSS offices to order these bags containing critical items at no cost to them.

[Screen text] Greta Argenta – Co-founder, Fostering Families Resource Center

The Comfort Cases help in so many ways. These kids are not always used to getting anything brand new. To have someone think of them makes them feel seen.

When kids come into care, they want to be like any other kid. I think this gives them that dignity of knowing, I mean something to somebody—and that's huge.

I think this partnership is going to benefit the children immediately.

[Screen text] Emily Clifton – Child welfare specialist, Rockingham Co. DSS

We in Rockingham County have been trying to get some type of comfort cases—having bags ready for children who come into care.

Having these two entities come together and work together will have an immediate impact, especially on a county our size because we are smaller.

[Screen text] Bill Ketner – Co-founder, Fostering Families Resource Center

People really do want to help children, and it’s gratifying to see people coming together. The goal is simple: we just really want to help kids. And that’s what I saw in there today.

On December 1st, we are launching the Children and Family Specialty Plan. Healthy Blue Care Together is thrilled to work with the Department of Health and Human Services to launch a visionary statewide plan to serve children and families.

We don’t want children to just survive—we want them to thrive. That is part of our goal for the Children and Family Specialty Plan.

If you bring your community together, let them know of a problem, educate them, and then show them how we can solve it—they will solve it.

And I hope that at the end of the day, everyone understands: the children in foster care don’t belong to you. They don’t belong to me. They belong to us.

[Screen text] Healthy Blue Care Together