Today we kick off November's National Adoption Month, a month-long celebration of creating permanency and positive outcomes in the lives of children.
We're incredibly thankful for the many families and individuals in Iowa who have made a difference in the lives of Iowa kids through foster care and adoption.
These are the families who take midnight phone calls for emergency placements.
These are the parents who adopt sibling groups of three, four or even five children so they can stay together.
These are the grandparents and aunts and uncles who step forward to provide kinship care when a child they love needs a home.
These are the families who adopt teens, so they can have a home forever, especially during the critical transition to young adulthood.
These are the countless caseworkers and professionals who work together to make sure every child has the stability of a safe and loving home and the guidance of a caring adult.
On behalf of Iowa KidsNet, we are lucky to know people like you. Thank you for all you do for Iowa's kids.
P.S. Stay tuned to our blog for family stories that we'll be sharing all month long! You can also check out upcoming events for November here.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
A picture says a thousand words . . .
Check out a couple photos from Saturday's National Heart Gallery Exhibit event!
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| Love the huge smiles! |
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| Katy and Kevin Laurin, an Iowa foster family; Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Kelli Malone, Iowa KidsNet project director, pose with the National Foster Care Month proclamation. |
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| Christina Fernandez-Morrow of Iowa KidsNet gets the kickoff started! |
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Larger than Life
We're excited to debut the National Heart Gallery Exhibit in Iowa this week!
This traveling photography exhibit features 50 larger-than-life portraits of children from across the country who waiting to be adopted from foster care and who represent nearly all 50 states. After premiering in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill last November, it has traveled to New York, the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, California and now on to Iowa for May's National Foster Care Month!
When you're a child or teen, it can be hard to wait for anything. It can be hard to wait for recess. It can be hard to wait for your birthday. It can be hard to wait to get your driver's license or to be asked to prom.
Imagine what it's like to wait for a family.
There are over 408,000 children in foster care in the U.S., and about 107,000 are waiting to be adopted into a forever family. How fitting this exhibit premiers on a weekend when we celebrate the importance of mothers, the importance of family, in a child's life.
These may be larger-than-life portraits, but the truth is that these kids don't need larger-than-life families. They just need ordinary, everyday people who are willing to open their homes and hearts to provide the caring guidance and support that every child deserves in his or her life.
Check out the National Heart Gallery Exhibit at Valley West Mall in West Des Moines from May 9 - 15 and at the Sioux City Public Museum from May 17 - May 30.
Take a peek behind the scenes at the set-up this week!
This traveling photography exhibit features 50 larger-than-life portraits of children from across the country who waiting to be adopted from foster care and who represent nearly all 50 states. After premiering in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill last November, it has traveled to New York, the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, California and now on to Iowa for May's National Foster Care Month!
When you're a child or teen, it can be hard to wait for anything. It can be hard to wait for recess. It can be hard to wait for your birthday. It can be hard to wait to get your driver's license or to be asked to prom.
Imagine what it's like to wait for a family.
There are over 408,000 children in foster care in the U.S., and about 107,000 are waiting to be adopted into a forever family. How fitting this exhibit premiers on a weekend when we celebrate the importance of mothers, the importance of family, in a child's life.
These may be larger-than-life portraits, but the truth is that these kids don't need larger-than-life families. They just need ordinary, everyday people who are willing to open their homes and hearts to provide the caring guidance and support that every child deserves in his or her life.
Check out the National Heart Gallery Exhibit at Valley West Mall in West Des Moines from May 9 - 15 and at the Sioux City Public Museum from May 17 - May 30.
Take a peek behind the scenes at the set-up this week!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
May is National Foster Care Month!
May is National Foster Care Month!
There are over 408,000 children in foster care in the U.S., and each one deserves a permanent connection to a safe, supportive and caring adult. Thanks to Iowa's resource families who open up their hearts and homes to help make this happen!
We'll have lots of events going on during May to help raise awareness of Iowa's ongoing need for foster and adoptive parents, including the kickoff of welcoming the National Heart Gallery Exhibit to Iowa.
This is an amazing traveling photography exhibit that features larger-than-life portraits of 50 children from across the country who are waiting to be adopted from foster care. First premiering on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., last November, the National Heart Gallery Exhibit celebrates the 10th anniversary of the first state Heart Gallery.
We're very excited to bring this compelling exhibit to Iowa! You can check it out on May 9 - 15 at Valley West Mall in West Des Moines or May 17 - 30 at the Sioux City Public Museum.
You're also invited to join us for a special kickoff event on Saturday, May 12, at 1 p.m. at Valley West Mall where Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), a foster care and adoption advocate, will help us welcome this national exhibit to Iowa.
Stay tuned to our website throughout May and June for some special foster care and adoption appreciation events for families!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Resolutions that can last a lifetime
As many of us start on New Year's resolutions (or break them!), a Latino community blogger and Iowa KidsNet staff in Des Moines has a suggestion for Latino families out there: Consider a resolution that can last a lifetime, and explore foster care and adoption.
While Latinos are about ten percent of our capital city's population, they represent over 15% of the kids placed in foster care. These kids tend to be predominantly Spanish-speaking and from multigenerational households.
Having a foster family who shares a child's culture can be an important asset for children who have been removed from their homes and can reduce some of their shock, trauma and confusion. And when there is no such foster home available, foster parents of any ethnic background can - and often do - help keep a cultural link between a child and his or her heritage.
Here's an excerpt from Christina's post. You can read the full blog at the link below.
["Imagine this: The date is December 24th of any given year and you are a four-year old Mexican-American boy who has not yet learned English. You have just been placed in a foster home where no one speaks your language and cannot comfort you, reassure you that you will be safe, tell you what to expect, or when you will see your parents again. You cannot tell them that milk and cheese make your tummy hurt, or that you can’t sleep without your stuffed frog that you fear is lost forever. Everyone smiles at you and speaks loudly and slowly in a language you are only vaguely familiar with. They offer you a plate roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. You see the Christmas tree in the corner and wonder when the tamales and champurrado will be served. You feel terrified, confused, abandoned, sad and helpless...."]
Read more of Christina's thoughts here.
You'd be surprised how much you, your family, your church, your business or your community organization can offer to make a difference for youth in foster care. If you're interested in learning more, go here.
Thanks, and Happy New Year!
While Latinos are about ten percent of our capital city's population, they represent over 15% of the kids placed in foster care. These kids tend to be predominantly Spanish-speaking and from multigenerational households.
Having a foster family who shares a child's culture can be an important asset for children who have been removed from their homes and can reduce some of their shock, trauma and confusion. And when there is no such foster home available, foster parents of any ethnic background can - and often do - help keep a cultural link between a child and his or her heritage.
Here's an excerpt from Christina's post. You can read the full blog at the link below.
["Imagine this: The date is December 24th of any given year and you are a four-year old Mexican-American boy who has not yet learned English. You have just been placed in a foster home where no one speaks your language and cannot comfort you, reassure you that you will be safe, tell you what to expect, or when you will see your parents again. You cannot tell them that milk and cheese make your tummy hurt, or that you can’t sleep without your stuffed frog that you fear is lost forever. Everyone smiles at you and speaks loudly and slowly in a language you are only vaguely familiar with. They offer you a plate roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. You see the Christmas tree in the corner and wonder when the tamales and champurrado will be served. You feel terrified, confused, abandoned, sad and helpless...."]
Read more of Christina's thoughts here.
You'd be surprised how much you, your family, your church, your business or your community organization can offer to make a difference for youth in foster care. If you're interested in learning more, go here.
Thanks, and Happy New Year!
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