By Dawn Luetje
LSI Foster Care & Adoption
November is National Adoption Month, a time to celebrate the community members and families who have adopted children in need of forever homes. But at Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI), we are also taking this time to recognize the 780 Iowa children who are waiting for adoptive families.
Last year, a total of 3,936 children entered foster care in Iowa. In that same timeframe, 1,172 of those children needed to be adopted out of foster care. There is an urgent need for more families to become licensed adoptive parents and ensure these Iowa children, teens, and sibling groups have the safe, healthy forever homes they need to thrive.
Across 30 counties in western Iowa, LSI Foster Care and Adoption recruits, licenses, and supports hundreds of foster and adoptive families.
While many of us have experienced added stressors over the last year, this has been an exceptionally challenging time for children who have experienced the uncertainty that comes with being removed from their home of origin. For children who are unable to safely return home and instead need a forever family through adoption, it is critical that we have more families ready to welcome them in and help them succeed. If you have ever considered adopting or foster parenting, Iowa children are in urgent need now.”
Western Iowa has an immediate need for both foster and adoptive parents, especially homes that can welcome teens, children with high medical or emotional needs, and sibling groups. Visit LSIowa.org/foster or call 866-409-2351 to get started. More resources are also available on the LSI Foster Care and Adoption Facebook page at Facebook.com/LSIFoster.
LSI is one of Iowa’s largest human services agencies and impacts thousands of Iowans annually through child abuse prevention, services for families and youth in crisis, services for people with disabilities, and refugee services. LSI is nationally accredited and proudly serves people of all ages, abilities, religions, sexes, gender identities, national origins, ethnicities, races, and sexual orientations. To learn more, visit LSIowa.org. Join us on Facebook at Facebook.com/LSI.iowa.
Dawn Luetje is the director of LSI Foster Care and Adoption.