Meet the Blogger

[vc_row padding_setting=”1″ desktop_padding=”padding-one”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Hello! Welcome to the NEW LSI blog that will be all things foster care/respite/adoption and everything in between.

My name is Anne Peters and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) here at LSI. I live in northwest Iowa, and see clients from across the state via telehealth for therapy. I also provide mental health consultation to LSI Early Childhood staff. In addition to that, I blog! For the last year and a half, I’ve been blogging with LSI to provide resources and support for parents as we tackled a pandemic. If you read that blog, welcome back! If you’re new here, welcome!

This blog takes a more personal turn for me as I walk through a new journey. I was just recently licensed as a foster/adoptive parent in the state of Iowa. I want to welcome you to walk through the ins and outs and the ups and downs of being a foster parent with me.

First, let me explain how I came to make the decision. I’ve felt it in my heart to foster for many years. I’ve talked it through with family and close friends in the past, and struggled with the idea of “getting too attached” and the loss that comes for a foster parent when reunification with birth families happen. I’ll be honest, the fear of that pain steered me away for a while. Then came a lot of self-reflection, reading, and researching. The goal of foster care is reunification. I know that, I believe in it whole-heartedly, I want that for the families, but I also know the reality that the joy of bringing birth families together again would mean loss and pain for me.

There was this moment (an aha! moment, if you will) where my thinking shifted. Will it be painful? Absolutely. Will it be difficult? Without a doubt. Can I be that person that provides safety and security for a child in need? Yes. Can the feelings of love, compassion, and empathy be enough to outweigh the pain? Definitely. Do I feel like I can hear my heart saying this is something I need to do? Undeniably.

So, I did it. I signed up for an informational meeting and I went. The story begins there, but it’s just getting started.

By Anne Peters, LMFT[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Moving Forward Together

[vc_row padding_setting=”1″ desktop_padding=”padding-one”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Over the last year, we have learned that we are stronger together. Our communities were resilient in the face of every hardship. And our human services workforce across the state never gave up, continuing to serve Iowans on the frontlines of the pandemic.

The needs of Iowa children, adults, and families are now greater than ever as we begin to navigate life after COVID. And while LSI is here, unflinching, for our neighbors, we need you. Our goal is to raise funds to ensure LSI can continue providing the resources, education, and programming Iowa families count on. You can help us by making a gift to our Moving Forward Together campaign today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_setting=”1″ desktop_padding=”padding-one”][vc_column alignment_setting=”1″ desktop_alignment=”text-center” width=”1/1″][hcode_button button_style=”style4″ button_type=”large” button_text=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fdonatenow.networkforgood.org%2FdonateLSI%3Fcode%3DMainsitetopcorner|title:Make%20a%20Gift%20″ button_settings=”color_bg_hover:#0a7273″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_setting=”1″ desktop_padding=”padding-one”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]During the pandemic, you kept Iowa kids safe by supporting LSI. When families were at heightened risk of child abuse or neglect, LSI social workers were able to continue walking alongside them, safely visiting parents in their homes and providing any resources to keep children happy and healthy. But this critical work won’t stop once we move into a “new normal.” Your support will ensure LSI social workers can continue toward our goal of preventing child abuse.

When Iowa children required temporary foster care, you ensured they had a safe home and consistent care. Life was turned upside-down, and foster parents suddenly found themselves working from home, coordinating at-home school for kids, and setting up virtual visits with a child’s birth family. Their LSI team was there, ready to make sure they never felt alone during this difficult time. When more foster parents were required to care for Iowa children, you helped us provide safe virtual classes and trainings as we recruited and licensed more foster and adoptive families. You can help us continue to serve these children and parents. Please consider making a gift today to our Moving Forward Together campaign.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_setting=”1″ desktop_padding=”padding-one”][vc_column alignment_setting=”1″ desktop_alignment=”text-center” width=”1/1″][hcode_button button_style=”style4″ button_type=”large” button_text=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fdonatenow.networkforgood.org%2FdonateLSI%3Fcode%3DMainsitetopcorner|title:Donate%20Now%20″ button_settings=”color_bg_hover:#e1ca71″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_setting=”1″ desktop_padding=”padding-one”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]The pandemic also put many of our neighbors with disabilities at higher risk. While the individuals we serve used to look forward to participating in community activities, COVID-19 meant they were forced to remain safely in their homes. But we were determined to find new ways they could grow and thrive, despite all obstacles. Our staff was committed to providing care 24-7, often putting their own health at risk in the process. They found new activities and virtual options for individuals to stay connected to their loved ones and community members, and it will be crucial to maintain those connections in the future. Your support will ensure our staff members have the tools they need to continue to support Iowans with disabilities.

When you make a donation to the Moving Forward Together campaign, you are also providing innovative mental and behavioral health care to Iowa children, adults, couples, and families. When LSI’s in-person therapy services were no longer a safe option, we quickly transitioned to providing care virtually over video and phone “telehealth” therapy sessions, thanks to you. This new method of service proved to be beneficial to hundreds of individuals across the state, and LSI will continue to provide accessible care that meets Iowans where they are at on their journey to a brighter future.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_setting=”1″ desktop_padding=”padding-one”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]As we look ahead to life after COVID-19, LSI will also be growing and expanding our services to former refugee and immigrant community members. Over the past year, COVID-19 created even more barriers for new Iowans; whether they were facing isolation in their home, trying to build a career while the world shut down, or navigating health and vaccine information in an unfamiliar language. But they rose to the challenge and LSI stood alongside them, providing virtual classes and programming and offering a COVID-19 hotline that provided important information in 15 languages. Thank you for standing with us and empowering our communities across Iowa.

We are still here for Iowans, and we always will be. You wrapped care around us during the difficulties of 2020, and you have stood by us this year, too. We are asking for your continued support as we move forward together into a future full of hope. Please consider making a gift today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_setting=”1″ desktop_padding=”padding-one”][vc_column alignment_setting=”1″ desktop_alignment=”text-center” width=”1/1″][hcode_button button_style=”style4″ button_type=”large” button_text=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fdonatenow.networkforgood.org%2FdonateLSI%3Fcode%3DMainsitetopcorner|title:Donate” button_settings=”color_bg_hover:#b4d5d1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Important Iowa Foster Parent Information Regarding COVID-19

At LSI, our top priority is ensuring high quality care for the children and families we are privileged to serve. LSI Foster Care and Adoption leaders have had recent detailed discussions with the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) regarding Iowa’s response to the novel (new) coronavirus, COVID-19, and the increase in cases across Iowa.

In an effort to protect the children we serve, all out of state travel for foster children must be approved by the DHS Service Area Manager. This restriction includes traveling out of the county, as well as crossing the Iowa border with a foster child for any reason. This also includes any travel that may have received prior approval from your DHS Case Manager. We recognize that information is changing rapidly, and we encourage you to contact your LSI Support Caseworker for any updates.

We also recognize that prior to the COVID-19 precautions, a majority of families in our western counties frequently traveled across state lines. However, we must make sure we are following these recommendations from our state. If there are medical reasons for a child to cross the Iowa border (for instance, to therapy sessions or doctor appointments), you must first get approval from the DHS Service Area Manager. Your LSI Support Caseworker or the Director of LSI Foster Care and Adoption, Dawn Luetje, can assist with this (contact information listed below).

If you are requesting any out-of-state travel, we will need the following information:

– Your name
– Your foster child’s name and date of birth
– Where you reside
– Where you will be travelling to
– The dates and frequency of this travel need
– Reason for out-of-state travel
– Your DHS Caseworker’s name
– Your LSI Support Caseworker’s name

The restrictions regarding COVID-19 are also being shared with all birth families. It is important to keep them informed of their child’s safety, and your LSI Caseworker can help you maintain communication and birth family connections according to the child’s DHS case plan. LSI is also developing a prescreening process and virtual visit options that will make it safer and easier for your family to communicate with your LSI team. 

LSI continues to closely monitor the guidance of IDPH, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as our partners like DHS. Trainings that were scheduled to be in-person will now be provided virtually. LSI has been given DHS approval to use video conferencing options, and we are working on more ways to help you meet your training needs. If you have questions on specific trainings, please contact your LSI Support Caseworker Supervisor.

If a child or resident in your home is in a category that is considered high risk per the CDC, please notify Dawn Luetje. Click here to see the categories the CDC considers at higher risk for COVID-19.

We understand this news can create added stress and anxiety. Self-care and access to your supports are important during this time. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued mental health considerations; these can serve as an excellent, trusted resource for you. Click here to access the guide.

Thank you for providing a calm, safe environment for the children in your care during this challenging time.

Important LSI Foster Care and Adoption Contacts
Phone number: 712.263.9341

Dawn Luetje, Director
Dawn.Luetje@LSIowa.org

Becky Groeneweg, Support Caseworker Supervisor, Northern SA1
Becky.Groeneweg@LSIowa.org

Teresa Kanning, Support Caseworker Supervisor, Southern SA1
Teresa.Kanning@LSIowa.org

Amanda Krause, Licensing Supervisor
Amanda.Krause@LSIowa.org

Children in foster care don’t fit one demographic

Children have been referred into foster care more than 600 times this year in western Iowa alone.

They enter foster care through no fault of their own, and there is no one specific reason why children enter care in the first place. Many children have experienced abuse or neglect. Some enter foster care when their primary caregiver experiences major health issues or dies unexpectedly. Others have parents who love them, but are not equipped to raise their children in a happy, healthy environment.

Regardless, children who enter foster care come from all walks of life. They come from all cultures and ethnicities; they can be toddlers or teenagers; they can be an only child or part of a sibling group.

No matter their background, one thing is certain: all children need a loving home.

Children may enter foster care for different reasons, but each child has experienced the trauma of being removed from their home. To help them cope during this difficult time in their lives, Iowa foster families do everything in their power to maintain a sense of normalcy. That means helping children stay connected to their friends, churches, schools, and activities. It might also mean becoming educated about their culture and learning about their favorite foods, music, or traditions.

In short, we need a wide range of families from all cultures, ethnicities, and walks of life to ensure the perfect foster home exists for each child, no matter who they are.

Western Iowa has an immediate need for more foster families to provide safe, temporary homes for children in need – and yours could be the perfect fit!

The goal of foster care isn’t adoption

November is National Adoption Month. At LSI Foster Care and Adoption, we’re busy celebrating and thanking the many families who are providing kids with loving forever homes.

This month, we’re also compelled to remember the hundreds of Iowa children currently in need of a temporary foster home – and to remember that foster care is not just an easy path to adoption. In Iowa, the goal of foster care is to safely reunify children with their family of origin whenever possible.

Children are shown to experience far less trauma when they are able to stay in their home and with their family of origin. That’s why organizations like LSI provide services to help families get back on track when they experience issues that could put them at risk of having their children removed.

When kids enter foster care, they experience the trauma of having to leave their home, school, friends, and family; as foster parents, it is our job to help them stay connected to their community and keep them comfortable whenever we are able.

In most cases, foster parents create strong relationships with the child’s birth parents and work together to help them build a healthier home for their child to return to. And in the rare instances where a child’s parents have their rights terminated, the Iowa Department of Human Services turns to family members or family friends to care for the child permanently before considering adoption by foster parents.

Adoption is a beautiful thing, but also always involves loss. One of our foster parents said it best: “For you to experience the beautiful gift of adoption, someone else had to experience the loss of a child.”

More children are entering foster care than ever before – hundreds in western Iowa alone –and it is crucial that we have enough foster families ready to answer the call and provide a safe, temporary place for children to thrive. We need foster parents who are committed to loving and caring for children while embracing the fact that these children will eventually return home. Foster care exists to reunify and to make families whole.

Birth parents need support too

Children are placed in foster care through no fault of their own. Most children enter foster care when their birth parents are not able to care for them appropriately, which could be due to abuse, neglect, substance use, or mental health concerns.

For many Iowans unfamiliar with foster care, this might make birth parents sound like bad people – but we cannot allow ourselves to make these generalizations – there is always more to a person than their mistakes.

Birth parents are humans, just like you and me. They’ve made mistakes, and they’re facing the consequences: their children are removed from them. Many of them describe this as the worst pain they have ever experienced. Meanwhile, their children face the trauma of having to leave their schools, friends, favorite toys, and all the comfort of home.

Our goal is to support Iowa kids during their time in foster care and help safely reunify with their families when possible. But this means it is equally vital for foster families to be supporters for birth parents. Along with caring for the child, Iowa foster families are expected to work closely with their birth parents to help get them back on their feet.

In most cases, birth parents are doing difficult work to get back on the right path and prepare a safe, healthy environment for their children to return to. Many of LSI’s foster families build strong relationships with these birth parents that last long after their families are reunified. Because we all need someone in our corner, cheering us on during the darkest points in our lives, believing that we can be better and do better.

Children in foster care don’t need to be “rescued” from their homes

If you haven’t been exposed to foster care, you might think that the best thing for children is for them to be “rescued” from their bad environment and removed from their parents and their home permanently. But that’s not true.

Foster care isn’t a quick, easy avenue to adoption. It’s loving, temporary care for children while their parents receive the support they need to welcome them home.

Children typically enter foster care due to traumatic events like abuse or neglect. We take these events very seriously, and the safety of each child is our chief concern. Foster parents provide critical care to these children when they are no longer able to safely live in their homes.

Through it all, foster parents as tasked with remembering that the primary goal of foster care is reunification. The best thing for children is for them to be reunited with their family of origin, but only when it is safe to do so. Foster parents provide care and love to a child while their parents are receiving the help, support, and resources they need to welcome their child back into a happy, healthy home.

So far this year, western Iowa children have been referred into foster care more than 500 times. Our state has an urgent need for more families to open their hearts and homes to children in foster care. And an urgent need for caring people to collaborate with birth families, walking alongside them as they build a better home environment for their children, no matter what challenges they may be grappling with.

If you’ve ever considered fostering, now is the time. When you become a foster parent, you’re doing more than just caring for children. You’re building stronger Iowa families.

Iowa teens need loving homes, too

When families decide to become licensed foster parents, many choose to open their homes solely to younger children. And while these families are providing critical care to hundreds of the most vulnerable children in Iowa, this also makes it more difficult to find loving homes for a population often overlooked: teenagers.

It’s understandable that families might be scared to foster teens. It can be intimidating to care for an older child, but teenagers need just as much love and support as younger children.

In 2018, 204 western Iowa children age 13 and above were referred into foster care. They experienced trauma like abuse or neglect and needed a foster family to lean on during the most difficult time in their lives. But there were not always enough foster homes immediately available, and youth with no foster family are forced to live in a shelter until a suitable, safe home is found for them.

When teens in foster care turn 18, they face a whole new challenge: “aging out” of the system and losing access to many of the resources they depend on. For those who spend their teenage years in a shelter instead of with a foster family, this means they are entering adulthood with no home or support system to turn to for guidance as they navigate college or a first job. More than 23,000 children will age out of foster care in the U.S. every year, and they are at extreme risk of poverty and homelessness.

Teens in foster care need stability and safety, too: someone to teach them to drive, someone to help them practice for the SAT, someone to cheer them on as they walk across the stage at graduation.

Help us ensure that Iowa youth have the love and support they need to build happy, healthy futures. Consider becoming a foster parent to teens.

There is no “perfect moment” to become a foster parent

There are plenty of reasons you might talk yourself out of considering foster care.

“I don’t own a home.”
“I already have kids or pets.”
“I’m too busy.”
“I have a full-time job.”

Becoming a foster parent isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly. But you don’t need to wait until you have a specific kind of household to be ready to be a foster parent. And while we might spend years waiting for just the right opportunity to open our hearts and homes, there are children in our community waiting for a foster family now.

Children in foster care have experienced trauma in their young lives and need a temporary place where they can feel safe and encouraged. But there are not always enough foster homes immediately available, and children with no foster family must live in a shelter until a home is found for them.

You can make a difference by becoming a foster parent.

There is no “typical” foster family. Foster parents must be at least 21 years old, but they can be single, cohabitating, married, living in multi-generational family homes, and homes with or without biological children. They can be employed or stay-at-home parents. Foster parents are homeowners, renters, and pet owners. Foster parents are individuals of all ethnicities, all walks of life, and all sexual orientations. They’re people just like you and me.

Last year, western Iowa children were referred into foster care 940 times. If you’ve ever considered becoming a foster parent, now is the time. Iowa children are waiting.

No Child Should Be Labeled a “Bad Kid”

When children are placed in foster care, their whole world is turned upside down.

They are forced to say goodbye to their family, their friends, and their school. The tangible, known pieces of their lives are ripped away from them – their childhood bedroom, their favorite toy or blanket, their pet.

Children in foster care have experienced physical or emotional trauma beyond what most of us can comprehend. Many of them have been abused or neglected. If there is no foster home immediately available, the instability continues and they must live in a shelter until a home is found for them.

And in the midst of all the chaos and confusion – when they are struggling to express their pain, fear, and frustration – they are often labeled as “bad kids” or “troubled.” As they start school in a new district, they experience whispers and stares. When they join a new sports team, they sometimes overhear a parent asking what they “did” to enter foster care.

The answer? Nothing.

Most children enter foster care through no fault of their own. They are not removed from their homes because of their bad behavior. They are not removed because they are delinquent, disruptive, or violent. They are not removed because their parents can’t handle them. They are removed from their homes because it was no longer safe for them to live with their family of origin.

Western Iowa children have already been referred into foster care more than 200 times this year and the need for more foster families is great. You can make a life-changing impact by becoming a foster parent.