Iowa considers paying foster parents to stay home
Iowa eyes private agencies and state plans to pay specialized foster parents more to care for tougher cases. Illinois already funds stay-at-home foster parents with about 750 dollars per child monthly, with a goal to place 400 more such children next year. The shift aims to attract single or two-income families, though concerns remain that fostering could become a business and reduce care quality.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Illinois
Donna Petras
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
Petras
Iowa
Children’s Home
Four Oaks
Lutheran Social Services
Cedar Rapids
Estle
Barb Willis
Mary Nelson
DHS
Nelson
James Krogman
Division of Community Services
Des Moines
Iowa DHS expands foster care and decategorization plan
Iowa Department of Human Services outlines a 45 day crisis family program with intensive services and a round the clock family therapist. A pilot decategorization project pools funds across child welfare programs to target needs, while recruitment efforts push for more foster parents amid funding and training improvements.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Paul Rode
DHS
Des Moines
Polk
Scott
Ernst challenges Iowa to fund failing families and child welfare
Ernst, 40, executive director of Four Oaks Treatment Center in Cedar Rapids, argues Iowa is a dual society with rich families thriving and poor families failing. He urges more money for child welfare, criticizes shallow political support, and warns of long-term costs if today’s kids are neglected. He notes progress in abuse identification but insufficient services to treat it.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ernst
Four Oaks
David Rust
Children’s Home
George Estle
Estle
Marc Baty
DHS
Linn County
Iowa
Wim Ernst
Cedar Rapids
Iowa Coalition For Family & Children Services
Foster parent guides youth with strict house rules
A single foster parent narrates how she supports children with firm guidelines. She enforces rules on honesty, theft, bedtimes, dating, drinking, schoolwork, and daily chores. She offers emotional support, treats each child as part of her family, and urges others to foster.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Willis
Working couples foster care debate in Iowa
Iowa DHS and private agencies push working couples into foster care due to a critical shortage. Stories follow Wayne and Alice Cox Virginia and Randy DuCharme Merle and Elva Jean Stone, detailing their experiences balancing full time work with fostering and the impact on children and families.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
MA Go
Wayne
Alice Cox
Ranawdy
Virginia DuCharme
Merle
Elva Jean Stone
Iowa
Ward
June Cleaver
Judy West
Johnson County
DHS
West
Virginia
Stones
Merle Stone
Cargill
Elva Jean
Toddville
Also Mentioned on This Page
Keptics
Jo Sheeley
Iowa Department of Human Services
Allamakee
Benton
Black Hawk
Clinton Clayton
Delaware
Dubuque
Fayette
Jackson
Johnson A
Jones
Keokuk
Linn Hy Ee
Louisa
Ee Eae i Tama
Washington
Pat Goodenough
Goodenough
Charlie Parrish
Parrish
Wayne Coxx
Farmstead Foods
Alice
University Hospitals
Iowa City
Coxes
Police Department
Randy Ducharme
Randy
DuCharmes
Gazette
L.W. Ward
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