Central Iowa Kids in Foster Care Need You!
You provide a safe home for your children. Your children know they are loved and cared for. They know that you will always be there for them. Your children know that you work hard to meet their physical and emotional needs to the best of your ability every single day. Because of you, they can grow and thrive. There are children right here in Central Iowa that do not have this. Children and teens entering foster care have experienced hurt and trauma. They have been pulled away from all that is familiar, and they need a soft place to land. These children and teens need a stable and caring place to call home for a while. They do not need perfect parents – we know that doesn’t exist. They need a safe place with adults who are present and attentive, and who will care for them so they can heal and thrive.
Need for Foster Care in Iowa
The need for foster families is urgent. In Central Iowa, there are 35% more referrals for children in need of a foster home than there are licensed foster parents available for match. These children and teens are in your community. They go to school with your kids. They need a local family to support them so they can maintain positive connections in their community and remain in their schools. EVERY child who is removed from their birth family deserves to live in a home with caring adults. When there are not enough foster families, children can end up in group care settings.
The primary goal of foster care is reunification. Foster parents can work with birth families as they work towards their goals. When birth parents and foster parents work together, children are not caught in the middle, but instead feel that there are even more adults in their lives to support them and care for them. Many foster parents maintain connections with the child and their birth family even after reunification occurs.
Four Oaks Family Connections
Four Oaks Family Connections would love to help you become a licensed foster parent. We provide ongoing support, training, and resources to all foster, kinship, and adoptive families in Iowa. Foster parents do not need to be married or own their home to become licensed. Prospective foster families will have an opportunity to share with Four Oaks Family Connections about which children would be a good fit for their family to be matched with such as age, gender, and behaviors you may or may not feel comfortable parenting. It should be a good fit for both the child and the family. Every single day there are children of all ages awaiting homes. Iowa’s biggest needs are for families who can care for teens, sibling groups, and children with special needs.
What does it take to become a licensed foster parent in Iowa?
Prospective families first need to inquire online and attend a virtual orientation. Orientation is a chance to learn more about the foster care licensing process and ask any questions you may have. Attending an orientation is recommended for anyone interested in learning more about foster care even if you are unsure if fostering is right for you. Prospective families will complete an application, attend and series of classes, and participate in a home study.
Each year in Iowa there are 4,000 children in need of a temporary home. You can be the difference for a child or sibling group. You can be the one to walk alongside a young person as they go from hurting to healing. You can be the person that helps a child or teen go from surviving to thriving.
To learn more about becoming a licensed foster parent in Iowa please visit www.iowafosterandadoption.org
