Watertown Area Foster Closet: Restoring Dignity, One Child at a Time

 

The Youth Council recently visited Watertown Area Foster Closet, a new nonprofit organization serving the area. There, they saw firsthand how one woman’s experience as a foster parent has grown into something deeply meaningful for children across our region.

Chelsey Borkhuis knows the reality of foster care personally. As placements arrived in her home, many children came with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. In addition to the emotional weight of welcoming a child into a new home, foster parents must quickly navigate school enrollment, medical appointments, and daily logistics, all while making sure the child has pajamas, clothing, toiletries, and basic essentials.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Borkhuis shared. “Some children wear the same clothes and undergarments for so long that they turn them inside out to try to make them feel clean. Imagine being a shy, scared teen girl, already in a chaotic situation, and having to ask a stranger for personal hygiene products.”

Watertown Area Foster Closet exists to change that experience. Borkhuis, along with Brenda Comes, Alyssa Schneider, and Heather Pagel, helped lead the effort to bring the Closet to life. In the first few hours after a child enters foster care, a call often comes in with basic sizing information. The Closet team moves quickly to prepare a personalized setup at the Closet’s shop. Children are invited to choose their own body wash, select their favorite sweatshirt color, try on clothes, and leave with more than just a few basic items. They leave with dignity.

“We turn it into a little hype session,” Borkhuis said with a smile. “We’re telling them how great they look, helping them mix and match colors, just making sure they feel proud walking out the door.”

Additionally, each child receives snacks because, as Borkhuis has experienced firsthand, some children have not eaten regularly and may be too shy to ask for food, or they may be uncertain that food is even available for them in this new home. A cozy blanket or stuffed animal is also included as a tangible reminder of comfort and safety.

The Closet serves seven surrounding counties: Codington, Hamlin, Deuel, Clark, Day, Roberts, and Grant. Foster parents of babies receive fully stocked kits with diapers, wipes, clothing, and pajamas to help them get settled quickly.

The need is steady and, at times, overwhelming. Across the seven-county area, there are approximately 80 children in the foster care system, yet only about 40 licensed foster homes. Not all homes are open to placements at any given time, and many can only accept certain ages or genders.

Borkhuis shared that placements tend to peak at the start of the school year, when teachers notice signs of abuse or neglect, and around the holidays, when stress and substance use often increase. During the summer months, cases may slow slightly, but often that reflects fewer mandated reporters interacting with children daily.

“These numbers represent real kids,” Borkhuis said. “And when that phone rings, it means a child is about to walk into a completely new life, sometimes hundreds of miles from home.”

The mission of the Closet is simple: give children some control in a situation where they have very little.

“These kids did nothing wrong to be put in this situation,” Borkhuis shared. “They deserve to feel cared for, and even a little spoiled.”

Through organizations like Watertown Area Foster Closet, children entering foster care are reminded that they are seen, valued, and supported by a caring community.

Youth Council members visited with Chelsey Borkhuis, left, at Watertown Area Foster Closet to learn how the organization provides clothing, essentials, and dignity to children entering foster care across the region.