Each year,
hundreds of Iowa children are in need of a foster family, but there are not
enough foster homes in western Iowa to immediately provide them with a safe,
loving home environment.
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. 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.
Children may enter
foster care for different reasons, but each child has experienced the trauma of
being removed from their home. Kids in foster care are just like any other kid.
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. To help them cope during
this difficult time, Iowa foster families must do everything they can to
maintain a sense of normalcy. That means helping children stay connected to
their friends, churches, schools, and activities. It means becoming educated
about their culture and learning about their favorite foods, music, or
traditions.
Iowa needs a wide
range of families in every western Iowa county. 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. They can be homeowners, renters,
and pet owners. Foster parents are individuals of all cultures and ethnicities,
all walks of life, and all sexual orientations.
Foster parents are
tasked with remembering the primary goal of foster care is reunification. The
best thing for a child is 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 get the support and resources they need to safely welcome their
child back to a happier, healthier home.
If your family is
interested in fostering, LSI Foster Care and Adoption is offering an
orientation for families to learn more about foster parenting options. This
orientation will be held on Tuesday,
February 18, at 6 p.m. in the Horn Memorial Hospital Conference Center. If
you have any questions, please contact fosteradopt@LSIowa.org.
