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...

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...

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...

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...

Every foster parent will tell you that there are tough days. That one of the hardest parts is saying goodbye to a child who has been in your care. When some families wonder if they could become foster parents, they may think, “I can’t foster children. I would get too attached.” But every foster parent...