Buncombe County asks for school supplies for foster children

Buncombe County Social Work started collecting school supplies this week for the 325 school-aged children in foster care across western North Carolina. The county says donated items will go to families supporting those students as they prepare for the 2026-2027 school year.

The requested supplies point to the basics that can make the first days of class smoother: erasers, pencils, paper and library books. For children in foster care, those supplies are more than a back-to-school convenience. They are part of getting into a classroom ready to take notes, complete assignments and keep pace with classmates from the first day.

Amy Huntsman, a foster care supervisor for Buncombe County, was identified in WLOS coverage of the donation drive. The county’s appeal lands at a time when its foster-support system is already active, with a Foster Support page and an Interested in Fostering page on the county website, and a separate Foster Care page for Buncombe County Schools.

The need also fits into a wider local effort around the school year. United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County says its annual School Supply Drive is community funded and serves local students each August. The organization says it helped 2,866 students last year and more than 25,000 students since it began, working through more than 30 distribution partners.

In Buncombe County, that broader network matters because students in foster care often move through school with extra disruption and fewer stable supports. A backpack with the right supplies does not solve those problems, but it does remove one immediate barrier between a child and a normal school start.