Please distribute this information as you see fit.
Imagine you are ten years old, and one day you are told you are going to live with a foster family you have never met. You may have to change schools and be separated from your friends. If a family isn’t available to take both you and your siblings, you might be sent to live miles apart. You probably feel confused and even scared.
In December of 2010, over 6,300 Iowa children were in foster care. Children enter foster care through no fault of their own, but often because of circumstances of abuse or neglect. A foster family provides a temporary safe, structured and loving home until a child can either be reunified safely with his or her birth family or find a new permanent home through adoption. Unfortunately, each year many teens turn 18 and age out of foster care without having a connection to a permanent family.
Iowa KidsNet is a statewide collaboration of agencies that recruit, train, license and support Iowa families to foster and adopt Iowa children. Iowa has a great support system for foster and adoptive families, as well as ongoing training and peer support.
In the Des Moines region, Polk County has the most urgent need for more foster families, particularly for African American and Latino foster families. Having a foster or adoptive family who shares a child’s ethnic or cultural background can be an important asset for children who have been removed from their home.
Families who can foster teens, sibling groups and children with special needs or behaviors are also needed.
There is no typical model for a foster family - people from all walks of life are needed. If you have a heart for children, enjoy teamwork and also have patience, flexibility, stability and a sense of humor, you could be a great foster parent.
There are many ways to get involved! Find out how you can make a difference and explore foster care and adoption at www.iowakidsnet.com. You can also join Iowa KidsNet on Facebook at www.FB.com/IowaKidsNet, follow them on Twitter at @IowaKidsNet or visit their blog at www.potentialforgreatness.blogspot.com.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
No comments:
Post a Comment