Coffee Break with Julie

Today we're excited to spend a few minutes with Julie, one of our post-adoption support specialists. Julie has a wide range of experiences not only as a support specialist, but as a foster and adoptive mother herself! She helps provide support and resources to meet the unique needs of adoptive families.

Hi Julie! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

I live in Radcliffe, north of Ames. My husband and I have four children, three of which were adopted from foster care. Our kids are involved in many activities that keep us busy. We took the first PS-MAPP class in Iowa and were licensed foster parents for six years.
 
You have lots of experience to share with your adoptive parents. What do you enjoy about supporting families? 

I enjoy connecting families to resources.

What's one resource you wish all adoptive families knew about?

Each family has different needs so that is difficult to answer. I wish all families who adopted from foster care in past years knew about post adoption services.
 
What's a commonly asked question you receive from families and how do you respond?

When children have their parental rights terminated or are having a termination of parental rights (TPR) hearing soon, many foster families have questions about the adoption process, adoption subsidy and Title 19. I explain the timeline from the TPR hearing to adoption. I also explain the criteria for adoption subsidy, future needs and Title 19, and the documentation needed.

As we approach the start of the school year, do you have any tips for helping parents transition children back into a school routine?
 
Start getting into a routine a few weeks before school begins. Start using "school" bedtimes and getting up in the morning at the time they will need to get up for school. Have them go through their normal routine that they will have each morning before heading off to school. Make sure kids are getting plenty of sleep. It seems the first couple of weeks of school tire them out!

Do you have a favorite moment from your work or personal experience in the foster care and adoption field?
 
Adoption Saturdays every November in Webster City! There is a lot of excitement and emotion on that day.

Everyone deserves a graduation party

Every once in awhile you hear a story that totally fills your soul. Here's a story we loved recently about one Iowa church making a difference for youth in foster care.

When this church heard about how many teens age out of foster care each year, often without the support or resources of a caring adult, they decided to do something. In a few weeks, they rallied their entire community - friends, neighbors, businesses, social workers - to pull together an incredible graduation party for area youth in foster care.

“Most people didn’t know that this need existed or even knew about foster care, but once they knew, most had a heartfelt connection,” one church member said. “They had a child or grandchild who was graduating, and they couldn’t imagine their own child not having the support system we take for granted.”

From laptop computers to cookie sheets to personal finance education, each graduate received many gifts that would spur their success in college or in living on their own for the first time. 

You can read the full story here at LSI's website, one of our partner agencies. 

Thanks to First Lutheran Church in Decorah for sharing love and encouragement with these youth! 

Francesca's Foster Care Story

Thanks to some inspiring youth at Elevate, Iowa's advocacy organization for youth in foster care, we're privileged to share insights from those who know our foster care system the best - our young people.

Here what Francesa, an alumni of Iowa's foster care system, has to say about her experiences and why parents shouldn't be afraid to foster teenagers.



Were you inspired or surprised by anything she had to share? If you've ever considered fostering teens, check out our list of Top 10 Reasons to Foster Teenagers.

Thanks!

Why foster parents matter

Last month at a youth conference in Ames, several youth and community members stopped by our booth to offer their thoughts on why foster parents, and support for youth in foster care, are important. Here's what they had to share!

"Changing my part of the world"

The best way to learn about foster care is to hear from the folks directly involved. Thanks to our awesome spring intern Hanna, we have a series of video interviews to share with you during May's National Foster Care Month, starting today with an area family who fosters teenage girls.

Look for more videos this month that will share thoughts from teens currently or formerly in foster care, thanks to the youth advocacy group Elevate!

Thanks to Deb below for sharing her insights, and to all of Iowa's wonderful foster families.

You make an incredible difference.

Check out our events page for more info on what's happening during May's National Foster Care Month! Here's a couple items coming up. If you're in the area, we'd love to have you there:

Saturday, May 7 - Get Lifted! in Cedar Rapids

Monday, May 9 - Governor proclamation signing at Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines


Have a great weekend!