Landing Platform FAQ

The Landing Platform is all about meeting urgent and essential needs to help stabilize families in pre-custody situations, new kinship placements, unstable foster placements to help prevent a disruption, and youth who have or are aging out of care. Needs submitted will be reviewed to ensure they fall under the definition of both immediate and necessary for stabilization.

• Examples: Typical Landing Platform needs might include (but not limited to) diapers, formula, car seats, bed and mattress, basic clothing or school uniforms, a gas card for visitation (one-time, not on-going), a week’s worth of groceries, a dresser, etc.

• Examples: The Landing Platform does not typically meet needs related to larger furniture items (couches, dining room tables, etc.), large appliances, bills for housing or utilities, items that are considered more of a ‘want’ than a ‘need’, or medical procedures.

• Any social workers, GALs, or supervisors for partner agencies that have been onboarded may submit a Landing Platform need. Our current partner organizations are Mecklenburg County, Union County, and Gaston County Youth and Family Services, Children’s Home Society, The Guardian ad Litem office in Mecklenburg County, Rock Hill Schools, and SaySo (Strong Able Youth Speaking Out).

• If you’re part of an agency that has not been onboarded with us, but you’re interested in learning more, please email our team at landing@cfknc.org.

To submit a need on the Landing Platform, simply fill out this submission form.

After a need is submitted to the Landing Platform, the team at CFK reviews the need to make sure it fits within the definition of both ‘immediate need’ and ‘for the purpose of stabilization’. If the need meets these requirements, it is posted to the Landing Platform. If the need does not meet these criteria or there are questions surrounding the circumstances, our team will reach out for clarification.

Community members in the greater Charlotte area sign up to be Landing Platform Champions with CFK. These Champions are alerted when needs are posted to the platform. They can then opt to claim the need, purchase the item, and then mail or deliver the item(s) to the designated location.

Each agency or organization that is on-boarded with the Landing Platform will have a designated location where items will be delivered. There is an option to change this delivery address for youth that have aged-out of care, certain residential facilities, and/or for larger bed/dresser deliveries that need to go directly to the home.

• You will receive automated emails (and optional text alerts) when an item arrives to the central pick-up location.

• For larger furniture deliveries, social worker or GAL will be notified when the shipment is made, when it should arrive, and can follow up as needed.

The CFK team and community Champions consistently work to meet these immediate needs as quickly as possible and hope that our social workers and GALs will be able to pick up the deliveries as soon as possible so as to ensure the youth or family has what they need. Please ensure to pick up your items in a timely manner.

Our request form allows you to select a specific delivery location for larger furniture items so that they can go directly to the home and do not need to be transported after delivery.

Any time there is a change or cancellation, please contact our team as soon as possible by emailing landing@cfknc.org.

Each social worker or GAL submitting a request will be required to include their supervisor’s name and email. The supervisor will be copied on the request form as well as any additional communication related to the request. The social worker or GAL will also need to check a box on the form indicating that they have discussed the need in detail with their supervisor and that the request has been approved prior to submission.

• Our form will ask basic information about the need (please be as detailed as possible), who you are serving, and what you are requesting. The form will then ask specific details about the members in the home - gender, sizes of clothing if applicable, etc.

• Even though we are meeting tangible needs, it is our goal to make a relational connection with community Champions by sharing high level circumstances of this need. This helps us to create advocates for our most vulnerable children and families within our city.

We cannot guarantee that all requests will be accepted. If the requested item has been approved but hasn’t been claimed by the requested delivery date, the CFK team will contact the social worker or GAL with next steps.

Sometimes requests fall outside the realm of what’s appropriate for the Landing Platform (immediate and essential for stabilization). In this case, our team will be in touch to let you know why and to discuss further options if available. In many cases, we may have other partner organizations or resources to help provide the requested need(s).

CFK (Congregations for Kids) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps mobilize the community to be Champions for kids in foster care.

The Landing Platform is an intuitive digital tool, created and powered by CFK, that empowers the community to meet urgent needs, stabilizing kids in foster care.