(Ames) More than 800 children across Iowa are currently waiting in the foster care system for a permanent place to call home. To meet this urgent need, Iowans for Adoption, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, launched “The Impact Circle“—a statewide call-to-action inviting every Iowan to play a role in solving the state’s foster care adoption crisis.
For 13 years, members of Iowans for Adoption have volunteered to help children in foster care and shelters find permanent, safe, stable, loving families. The organization is now requesting public support to expand its reach and accelerate the adoption process for Iowa’s waiting youth.
Diana Lang, Founder and Executive Director, notes that the goals of Iowans for Adoption are to celebrate adoption, raise awareness about foster care, and ensure every child has a safe, permanent, nurturing home. She says they also focus heavily on educating the public about the Safe Haven Act and Iowa’s dire need for more foster and adoptive parents.
Lang emphasizes that community support goes beyond the home. Lang added nationally, more than 100,000 kids are waiting to be adopted.
Lang says not everyone may be able to adopt or be a foster parent, but there are many ways to positively impact these 800 children waiting for legal, permanent parents. Therefore, they are calling upon all Iowans to volunteer, share social media posts, educate others, or donate. Lang says everyone can help a child move out of a shelter or foster care and into a family.
To fuel this mission, the organization launched The Impact Circle. Supporters who donate at least $100 annually (or $8 monthly) will be recognized on social media, in quarterly newsletters, and at special events. Funds raised will be used to create statewide educational materials, curricula, and programming for Iowa’s Safe Haven Act, foster-to-adopt initiatives, and keeping Iowa’s children safe.
