Here's my rationale:

There are some Salvation Armies, Goodwills, and local thrift stores that have gently used and unworn clothes with the tag still on them.

I count Plato's Closet (the same company that owns Once Upon a Child) as a more contemporary thrift store geared toward particularly clothing styles (and some of the clothes are geared toward a particular age group). They are gently used and unworn name brand clothes that people sell to the store. The difference is that people are selling the clothes to Plato's Closet (or the owners are buying from somewhere) versus people donating the clothes to other thrift stores.

There is another store like Plato's Closet but its clothes are even more trendy and much more expensive. Still gently used and new name brand clothes that were sold to the store. As with a lot of the Plato's Closet clothes, you wouldn't notice they were used clothes.


Just the opinion of my friends and me. :) There are a lot of stores like Cititrends. It is generally directed toward a particular demographic. That's also why the commercials in many cities are the way they are. LOL. Mostly cheaply made trendy clothes.

I compare it to Wet Seal and stores like that. There are like a dozen stores like Cititrends and Wet Seal in many cities.

I've never even heard of Cititrends. Are they catering to an "urban" ;););) clientele? The closest one to me is in Philly.

LOL. Exactly.

Oh yes. I'm agreeing it should be. I was asking the Senator, not you. :)

LOL. Ok.

I've noticed there are people who don't consider Plato's Closet a thrift store and there are thrift store fans who have never heard of Plato's Closet.

Wow - they are trying to regulate $60 clothing allowance per child? Outside of a thrift store, that won't buy much at all.

Like others have said, I'd encourage thrift store shopping (maybe even give them coupons for an additional 20% off) but mandating?? Goodness...

Not really. The current program combines the $60 with all of the other benefits/allowances on a single EBT card so technically a foster parent could spend that $60 on food or other expenses. This proposed change would set aside $80 a year that would only be allowed to be spent on cheap clothing.

In the form of a gift card to Salvation Army. Really that's not a good idea.

If they're concerned about how the money is being spent, then do more checks or audits. If they're "concerned" with big old scare quotes instead (which is my guess) then they should STFU. There's no actual justification here other than a general, yeah it's good to try and save money if we can. But it's the foster parents who are paying any extra costs, not the state and if they're abusing or neglecting the needs of their foster child, they shouldn't be foster parents.

Call me crazy.

Well, only if you want people to call them "shanes," which certainly wouldn't be good for their self-worth.

Ok crazy ;) I was just explaining to HoneyKiss how the allowance works as I know it. My cousin is a foster parent in MI and she gets around $450 a month from the state to spend as she pleases. If she wanted to spend all the money on clothes she probably could but she chooses to buy diapers and groceries. She also spends quite a bit of her own money as well.

This is nothing new, these politricks, a "look at us saving the taxpayers money" move to appease people worried about state deficits.

I do like the idea of the state negotiating clothing discounts for them and if that ends up being the outcome of this, then I hope they don't STFU.

At the Salvation Army in my hometown, you could get the newest well-known brands for two, three dollars for t-shirts, and two or three dollars for jeans.

60$ is plenty and you can be what they call "fashionable".

Well the thing is, you have to shop at a Salvation Army/Goodwill etc in a nice neighborhood.

Trust me, in my BFE hometown, there are not fashionable things at either place. There are lots of pleated stonewashed jeans, though.

That's YOUR hometown. Where I grew up and where I live now, most people who are trying to get rid of barely-worn or new designer clothes aren't going to take them to Goodwill or Salvation Army--they're going to one of the smaller charity thrift shops (which are expensive and not at all like Goodwill) or resale/consignment shops. The things that actually make it to Goodwill or Salvation Army tend to be costumes or things for extremely large people.

Totally making a comeback:

http://fashionbombdaily.com/wp-conte...shed-Jeans.jpg

This is Rihanna, btw.

^^^^ The St Vincent DePaul Thrift Store nearest to my town is more expensive than the nearest SA or Goodwill. Both carry the same quality of stuff (not great). The nearest SA/Goodwill pale in comparison to the Brand Spanking New Goodwill in Montgomery, a fairly well off suburb of Cinci. That place has NICE stuff. Geography and area income play an important part in what is available at each store.

I shop Craigslist, and local garage sales.