Clothing Insecurity: A Hidden Barrier to Student Success

By Christine Morin

As kids prepare to step through the school doors and start another year, I’m particularly mindful of the 20 million children in the U.S. experiencing clothing insecurity.

As a parent, I deeply understand the pressure of getting my kids comfortable with new routines and ready to learn every year. But for too many children, the challenges are steeper without access to adequate, appropriate clothing.

How do you gain the confidence to speak up in class if you’re worried the other kids will notice that your clothes are worn out? How do you make friends on the playground and join the game if your shoes don’t fit?

Families experiencing clothing insecurity want what we all want for our kids: to see them thrive and have the tools they need to realize their dreams.

The deeply rooted belief that every child deserves the essentials to feel safe, valued, and ready to learn guides my work as CEO of Cradles to Crayons (C2C), the largest national non-profit exclusively dedicated to ending clothing insecurity.

Based on C2C’s 23 years of experience, along with research from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child, we know that prolonged stress from adversity interferes with a child’s ability to learn, form relationships, and develop emotional resilience. It can even prevent them from walking through the school doors in the first place.

We also know that it is possible to end clothing insecurity. Cradles to Crayons provides new and gently used clothing and other critical items to children living in low-income and homeless situations. We have seen that when you educate communities about this challenge and provide an opportunity for them to take action, they will step up for kids.

C2C is a powerful example of what can happen when people and communities unite for good. We do this by creating spaces of joy, connection, and empathy. Our Giving Factories are places where we inspire volunteers—many of them families—to serve together, checking, sorting, and packaging clothing to make a tangible difference in the lives of children who need it most. And this year, through our Ready for Learning initiative, we’ll provide 250,000 backpacks full of school supplies to children, free of charge.

We know this problem is bigger than us, and we want to share what we have learned so that others can help meet this hidden need. We’ve created a toolkit that we hope can serve as a starting point for anyone who wants to host a clothing drive in their own community. Or, to collaborate with us, feel free to check out our Take Action page.

When we ensure kids have what they need, we’re not just filling backpacks, we’re removing a burden so that they can focus on what really matters: learning and growing. The ripple effects of this are life-changing, not only for the kids and families we support, but for the communities that are enriched when all children can tap into their strengths and truly thrive.

Christine Morin

Christine Morin is a mission-driven non-profit CEO with over 20 years of expertise in growth strategy, operations, and fostering inclusive, people-centered cultures. She is passionate about expanding opportunity and empowering the next generation.