Clothing, bedding, food, and more is donated to Cloth and Foster, and then those items are given to children in foster care and to the caregivers, and the nonprofit organization, founded by Brittany and Aric Clapp, continues to grow in Southwest Washington

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

Through the years, Brittany and Aric Clapp have fostered more than 40 children in their home.

Every child has a different need, a different challenge.

They were looking to find a way to make it just a bit easier, not only for foster children but for the caretakers as well.

In 2020, they started Cloth and Foster in an effort to empower caregiver families through tangible goods.

Clothing. Bedding. Personal care items. Baby formula. Baby food. Diapers. More clothes. Toys. Headphones for older children.

Pretty much anything that a child or teen could need or want, Cloth and Foster wanted to have, ready for caregivers to pick up at the ready.

Now in 2026, they have a warehouse full of supplies, and they serve hundreds of caregivers every year from all over Southwest Washington.

“When we started fostering, we had enough resources for ourselves,” Aric said. “But going from one kid to the next, how do people keep doing this?”

Brittany came up with the idea after one transition.

Aric explained it like this: They welcomed a 4-week old baby, fostered the child, then sent the child back home to their parents when it was time. The next baby who arrived at the Clapp house might have been 8 weeks old, twice the size.

“I didn’t have anything for that kid,” Aric said. “I gotta go out and buy things.”

Every child has a different need.

“My brain was, ‘How do families keep doing this every month?’ Not everyone has the means to actually make that happen,” Aric said.

He noted that while foster caregivers do receive funding, that funding often comes 30, 45 days after a child comes into a home.

“You don’t get that up front,” Aric said. “So you’re scrambling yourself to get all the things you need. Sometimes that puts a burden on people. We just try to remove as many barriers and obstacles as possible so families can keep fostering.”

Last year, Cloth and Foster helped an average of 28 caregivers a month. A caregiver gets word that a child is coming to their home, and the caregiver fills out a request form. Through impressive organization skills — all donated items are listed in a database, and the items are separated into different age and gender categories — Cloth and Foster volunteers can easily access the requested items and have them ready for the pick-up.

The Clapps learned firsthand that caregivers don’t always have the resources they need to say yes every time. Among the goals for Cloth and Foster is to help turn a potential no into a yes.

Through the years, the Clapps have fostered 42 children. They have three biological children of their own and they have adopted three children. This is a family project, as well as a community of volunteers. No one associated with Cloth and Foster is paid for their work with the nonprofit.

Beyond the daily requests for supplies, Cloth and Foster also holds several events throughout the year. At the most recent Christmas party, more than 500 children and families were served.

The need continues to grow, as well. As previously noted, there were an average of 28 requests for help per month last year. This March, 49 requests were met.

Cloth and Foster serves the counties of Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Lewis. One foster caregiver has driven from Olympia to pick up supplies.

The Cloth and Foster website (https://www.clothandfoster.org/) has more information on how to donate or help. The website also shares Brittany and Aric’s Clapp’s story.

“Their mission was simple but powerful: to make sure no caregiver has to do it alone, and that every child experiencing foster care has access to dignity, comfort, and the basic items they deserve,” according to the website. “They wanted the HEART WORK to happen.”