Iowa Foster Care and Adoption Guidelines

The adoption and foster care process may take some time, but the rewards are well worth the effort. You will find there are many resources available to you, and we recommend you become involved in as many ways with the foster and adoption community as you feel comfortable.

Contact Information

• Iowa KidsNet
  Email: customerservice@iowakidsnet.com
  Phone: 800-243-0756

Para información en español

• Four Oaks
  Contacte: Mili Cook
  Correo Electrónico: mcook@fouroaks.org
  Teléfono: 800-243-0756

Things You Should Know

• Foster and Adoption Licensing Requirements
• Costs to Foster and Adopt
• Agency Contact and Support Information
• Parent Support Groups
• Information on Iowa's Waiting Children

Foster and Adoption Licensing Requirements

The requirements to foster are the same as the requirements to adopt.

• Be at least 21 years old (There is no maximum age for a parent as long as you are physically and mentally stable).
• You don’t have to be married
• If you are married, you must have been married for a year before beginning the foster or adoptive process
• You can rent or own where you live
• You don’t have to live in a house
• You don’t need parenting experience
• If you do have children in your home, you cannot have more than six children total in your home, including children who were born to you, children who you are fostering, children who you have adopted, and any other children you are parenting at the time.

Fostering is providing temporary care to a child while social workers work with the child’s birth family to see how to improve the situation so that the child can return to their birth family. In many cases, fostering is temporary. However, if a child cannot return to their birth family, they will become legally free for adoption. Then, you can decide if you are interested in adopting the child that you have been fostering.

Costs to Foster and Adopt

None

Agency Contact and Orientation Information

Orientation sessions are conducted every month in each of the eight Iowa service areas. Contact customer service at 800-243-0756 for information on a session near you.

To find an agency, please contact Iowa KidsNet at 800-243-0756.

Parent Support Groups

Families licensed in the State of Iowa are assigned a support worker, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week, upon the placement of a child. That support worker is connected to the family as long as the family stays licensed.

Additional support, training and resources are provided by the Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parent Association. Locate a support group in your area.

Information on Iowa's Waiting Children

There are 6,794 children in foster care in Iowa; 1,265 of these children are waiting for adoptive families.