Pages & Packs: Starter Libraries for Black Utah Foster Youth

Every child deserves a space that feels like their own, filled with stories that reflect their lived experiences, and tools that set them up for success. For Black foster youth navigating the system in Utah, finding that can be incredibly rare.

As a Black-owned bookstore, we know firsthand the transformative power of representation in literature. When a child sees #BlackGirlMagic, #BlackBoyJoy, and their shade of melanin beautifully portrayed in the pages of a book, it sparks confidence, fosters a love for learning, and roots them in their identity.

That‘s why we‘re launching Pages & Packs. Our goal is to equip Black Utah foster youth with curated resources designed to nurture both their minds and their self-worth.

We cannot ignore the structural disparities that disproportionately impact Black children in our local child welfare and national education systems:

• 🐝 The Utah Placement Gap: According to local tracking from the Utah Foster Care Association, there are 150 Black children in foster care as of August 2026, yet there are only 8 Black foster families available to care for them. This means the vast majority of Black foster youth in Utah are placed in environments where they do not have direct, daily access to their cultural heritage or immediate community mirroring.
• 👩🏾‍🏫 The Academic Disparity: Nationally, foster youth face immense systemic disruptions. Long-term educational indicators gathered by Advocates for Children‘s New York Chapter reveal that only one in three students in the foster system scores proficient on standard English Language Arts and math exams—a rate roughly three times lower than their peers. Mid-year school transfers only worsen this educational gap.
• ✍🏾 The National Literacy Crisis: We are currently battling a staggering national literacy crisis. Comprehensive state-by-state data published via the Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT Data Center confirms that nearly 70% of fourth graders in the United States cannot read at a proficient level. For kids experiencing the instability of the foster system, a lack of immediate access to books at home permanently widens this gap.

To fight these statistics, each Black foster youth supported by this campaign will receive a carefully assembled, high-quality care package curated by our team:

• 📚 A Starter Home Library: A curated collection of 3 to 5 books featuring diverse Black characters and empowering narratives to kickstart their personal library and combat the literacy crisis.
• 🎒 A Premium Backpack: Packed with essential, grade-appropriate school supplies to prepare them for academic success.
• 👑 Identity-Affirming Care Items: Culturally relevant self-care essentials—like durags, wave caps, and bonnets—that provide comfort and honor their heritage in spaces where it may otherwise be missing.

• $5 — Supplies: Contributes essential school supplies like notebooks, pens, and pencils for a student’s pack.
• $15 — Cultural Care: Supplies identity-affirming essentials like a durags, wave cap, and bonnets.
• $25 — Supply a Pack: Funds one heavy-duty, high-quality backpack to hold all of their academic and personal gear.
• $50 — Gift a Starter Library: Purchases the curated set of 3 to 5 books highlighting empowering Black representation by Black authors.
• $75 — Backpack & Books: Combines the premium backpack and the starter library collection to fuel their education.
• $100 — Fully Sponsor 1 Child: Completely funds an entire customized care package (Library + Pack + Supplies + Cultural Care) for a kids in care.
• $200 — Double Your Impact: Fully sponsors comprehensive packages for 2 Black foster youth in Utah.

Our initial fundraising milestone goal is $1,500 to deliver custom care packages to our first cohort of 10 Black youth in care. While we are starting with these 10 children, our ultimate mission is to expand this campaign to reach and uplift every single Black child navigating the Utah foster care system.

• 💵 Donate: Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us purchase books and supplies at cost to maximize our reach.
• 📢 Share: Post this campaign on social media, text it to your friends, and help us spread the word across Utah and beyond.
• 🏠 Foster or Mentor: Utah desperately needs more foster homes reflecting the diverse backgrounds of our children, and any home willing to learn about their culture and to love a kid in need. If you want to learn how to open your home, or discover opportunities to mentor local youth, get involved directly through the Utah Foster Care!

Thank you for standing with us to empower, educate, and uplift our youth! Together, we can build a community where every Black foster youth feels seen, celebrated, and supported.