Our goal is to provide the lasting gift of an exceptional handmade blanket to each child who enters foster care.  Help us to get your blanket to a child ASAP by checking our guidelines before you donate.   

Note from Melvin, The Bair Foundation, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

Thank you so much for all you do for these kids! We make sure we always have a surplus of handmade blankets ready for the kids that come to us. Each blanket is different, so we can choose one that will truly match with each child. 

​I was speaking with a 15 year old who opened a bag and saw one of the handmade blankets--the child told me just how much they loved their new blanket! 

What is an exceptional blanket?

​We want to provide lasting gifts for children in foster care, and we encourage our Blanket Angels to create blankets that they would be proud to give to children they love. To do that, we compare each donated blanket against this 1 - 4 quality checklist.

1. Blankets ready to be put into a child’s hands have these qualities:

All blankets
       > The blanket is NEW and clean, free of pet hair and strong odors.
       > Special tag is sewn on the back near a corner.
       > Special tag is filled out correctly:
                 “This belongs to” is BLANK.
                 “Handmade by” is your first name printed.
                 “My special note to you” is your short, uplifting note to the child.
       > The blanket lies flat; the sides do not bunch up.
       > BONUS: the blanket is folded neatly with the special tag on the outside.

You used our fleece kit:
       >  Fringe sizes are uniform, about 1” x 4.”
       >  There is one knot per fringe.
       >  Blanket is tied on two opposite ends.

You provided your own yarn/fabric:
       >  Your blanket is rectangular and 36” x 36” minimum.
​       >  Fleece is high quality, Blizzard fleece or fabric of similar quality.
       >  Fabric patterns are appropriate for children.
       >  Selvedge/rough edge has been neatly cut off your fabric.
       >  Double layer blankets are tied on all sides with double knots so that layers will not
           separate.
​Guidelines for purchasing your own fleece

2.   These blankets need a small fix that we can easily/quickly do in the workshop, such as
       a tag sewn on or completed.

3.   These blankets need a bit more TLC. Our Blanket Angel volunteers take these blankets
       home to make repairs such as fixing fringe incorrectly cut and/or tied.
    
4.   A few blankets can’t be given to children, such as those made with very thin fleece or
      those with cutting and tying problems that are not fixable.