Publications - Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parent Association

IFAPA publishes a variety of resource materials for both foster and adoptive parents to assist them in understanding the Iowa Department of Human Services' system, as well as to sharpen their parenting skills.

Below is a list of FREE publications that can be requested from the IFAPA office by emailing cthomason@ifapa.org

Adoption Basics for Educators - How Adoption Impacts Children and How Educators Can Help

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This booklet was developed to provide educators with basic information about adoption-related issues and the effect these issues might have on students, as well as suggestions on how educators can assist and advocate for students who are adopted.

The Child Abuse Assessment - A Guide for Foster Parents

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A step-by-step guide for foster parents who have had an abuse allegation made against them. This easy-to-ready booklet explains the abuse assessment process, defines child protective terms, clarifies the foster parents' legal rights, and addresses the emotional issues families face during an assessment.

Completing the Circle - Uncovering, Discovering & Creating Connections for Your Foster & Adoptive Children

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This guidebook was created to help foster & adoptive parents identify, locate, and engage as many caring individuals as possible - biological and other -- to support the child in your care over his or her lifetime.

Confidentiality - A Guide for Foster Parents

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This publication explains the complicated issue of confidentiality in a easy-to-understand, quick-read format. It will guide you through sticky issues, such as sharing information with teachers, daycare personnel, and medical professionals. Find definite answers to how and what to say to family, friends, and neighbors about your foster son or daughter Finally, a written guide on how to manage this important but tricky issue that together workers, attorneys, and families developed. PLEASE NOTE: Internet & Confidentiality Rules: DHS asked IFAPA to inform foster parents who use personal internet sites such as Facebook and MySpace that they must never include the names or any personal information about foster children in information they post, nor should they ever post a photo of a foster child on any internet site. Such actions would be a violation of confidentiality standards. DHS would prefer that foster parents not identify themselves as foster parents on such sites.

Cultural Connections - for families parenting transracially

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All children deserve to grow up in loving and nurturing families. Love is just the beginning for transracial families. Children in transracial homes need to have their racial and cultural connections preserved and strengthened. IFAPA has recognized the need for a Cultural Connections Program that will assist you in not only identifying your child’s cultural and racial needs, but also help you navigate a path toward helping your children strengthen their cultural roots and their cultural identity.

E-News - IFAPA Monthly Electronic Newsletter

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IFAPA produces a monthly electronic newsletter that is sent out via e-mail. Past issues of this newsletter are available under the News section of our website.

Foster Parents and the Courts

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A Guide for Foster Parents on Being an Effective Advocate in Court for Foster Children. This handbook was written to help you understand who the people are that are involved in the legal proceedings, what is likely to occur in court, and how you can be most effective in advocating for the best interests of your foster child.

Journals for Foster Parents (Weekly/Daily)

Daily Journal for Foster Parents

Weekly Journal for Foster Parents

It is important for foster parents to keep a well-documented journal for each foster child. Keeping a journal helps the foster parent report information to DHS and to the courts. Record what happened to the foster child each day. Journal examples should include school progress/issues, reports on family visits, positive and/or negative behaviors, medical concerns, medical or counseling appointments, and any allegations made by the foster child. Print off as many copies as needed.

Navigating Iowa's Adoption Subsidy Program

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This handbook is intended to be a resource to parents as they consider an adoptive placement and a reference guide after placement.

News & Views - IFAPA Bi-Monthly Newsletter

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IFAPA produces a newsletter every other month. The last six issues of News and Views are available under the News section of our website.

Lifebook Pages - Free

The free lifebook pages can be found at the bottom on this page.

Pre-Placement Questionnaire for Foster Parents

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This form lists questions foster parents should ask before agreeing to the placement of a child in their home. These questions will help you determine if this placement will be a good fit for your family and your parenting abilities.

Public Policy Agenda

By telling their stories to legislators and developing personal relationships with public officials, Iowa's foster and adoptive parents are improving the child welfare and child protective system. The agenda defines the issues foster and adoptive parent members of IFAPA have identified and prioritized as important to children. The 2009 Public Policy Agenda is available for your information.

Raising Relatives' Children

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The Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association (IFAPA) seeks to support kinship caregivers in a variety of ways. IFAPA created this packet of information for kinship families and those that serve them. Kinship caregivers are grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, older siblings and even great-grandparents.

Transracial Parenting in Foster Care and Adoption: Strengthening Your Bicultural Family

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This guidebook was created to help parents and children in transracial homes learn how to thrive in and celebrate their bicultural family; and for children to gain a strong sense of racial identity and cultural connections.

The Welcome Book

A Welcome Book is intended to help a child transition to a new home, whether they are being placed in a new foster home or with an adoptive family they have not met. Welcome Books are helpful for children of all ages. Prior to placement, a Welcome Book can be sent to the child to read and review. Welcome Books help the child learn more about the family they are going to be placed with and what their surroundings will look like. This will help ease a child's fears and help with their transition.

IFAPA created these FREE pages to help families make their own book. Each page can be downloaded and printed separately.

Article about Creating a Welcome Book:

Introducing the Welcome Book, A New Transition Tool by Beth O'Malley

Posted with permission from Fostering Families Today, January / February 2007 Issue

FREE WELCOME BOOK PAGES:

Welcome Book Cover

Hello My Name Is (One-parent introduction page with photo)

Hello Our Names Are (Two-parent introduction page with photo)

Kids That Live Here (Introduce your children and foster children with photos)

Other People in the Family

Our Extended Family

Family Hobbies

Celebrating Holidays

Family Traditions and Celebrations

Our Family Rules

Lifebook Pages

A lifebook brings together a child’s past, present, and future. It is a book to document a child’s history, celebrate accomplishments, and allow his or her talents to shine. It is a record of a child’s life in his or her own words using photos, artwork, and things picked up along the way. It allows a child to honor life, one day and one event at a time.

Working together on a lifebook can bring a parent and child closer together. It creates a natural opportunity to talk about the circumstances of the foster care and/or adoptive placement. A lifebook is a useful tool in any stage of foster care or adoption.

v A lifebook is an easy tool to use to get to know a new child in your home. Working with the child to create pages that reflect his or her life will help you get to know the child better and build a relationship in the process.

v A lifebook can help a child prepare to return to the birth family. You can help a child document and celebrate accomplishments while in care, and keep track of the important people in his or her life.

v A lifebook can help prepare a child for adoption. You can work with the child to build a bridge between the birth family and the adoptive family.

v A lifebook can help a child build self-awareness and self-esteem. When a child looks through his or her history, they can better understand what has happened to them, who to turn to for help, and the strengths they have which will allow them to move forward. A lifebook should include important milestones to remind a child how much they have accomplished and how many people they have cheering for them.

v A lifebook allows a child to express themselves creatively and dream about the future.

v A lifebook can be started at any age. If a child comes to your home without one, it is the perfect time to start working on it.

IFAPA created these lifebook pages to allow a child to pick the pages that fit his or her style. Each page can be downloaded and printed separately which allows a child the ability to hand-select a preferred page. You can return to the IFAPA website and choose additional pages at any time.

These pages are available to download and print for FREE. For those who wish to have a printed version of these pages, they are available for purchase ($10 per book plus shipping costs). To purchase a lifebook, click here. These books do contain the newest pages.

Are there additional pages you wish were included here? Let us hear from you and we will work on adding those pages to this website. Please contact Crystal Thomason (cthomason@ifapa.org) with your questions or ideas.

Have fun, enjoy the time getting to know your child and creating a keepsake that will last a lifetime.

FREE LIFEBOOK PAGES:

Cover Page - option 1

Cover Page - option 2

Cover Page - option 3

Cover Page - option 4

Inside Cover - option 1

Inside Cover - option 2

Copy of Birth Certificate

Copy of Court Records

Dear Dad Letter

Dear Mom Letter

Holiday Memories - option 1

Holiday Memories - option 2

I Am Thankful For

If I Could Change One Thing - option 1

If I Could Change One Thing - option 2

I Grew Up With

Important People - Contact Info

I Wonder About

Memories

Messages from Important People in My Life

My Best Friend

My Brother

My Extended Family (photo)

My Extended Family Members

My Family

My Family - Extra Stars

My Memories - age 0-3

My Memories - age 4-6

My Memories - age 7-9

My Memories - age 10-12

My Memories - teen years

My Predictions for the Future

My Religious Beliefs

My Sister

My Thoughts About My Family

Other Homes Where I've Lived

Other People I Lived w/in My Birth Family

Other Places I've Lived

School Days

Someone I Care About

Someone I Look Up To

Someone I Lived with that is Important to Me

Someone Like a Brother to Me

Someone Like a Sister to Me

Special Days & Celebrations

Teen Stuff - Important Phone Numbers & Websites

The Day You Came Home from the Hospital

The Day You Came to Our Family

Things That Make Me Feel

Vacation Times

When I Was Born

Winter Memories

Words That Describe Me

IFAPA COOKBOOK FUNDRAISER

$10 each

This cookbook is filled with over 600 delicious recipes from foster and adoptive families throughout Iowa. Show your support for Iowa's foster and adoptive families by purchasing a cookbook. This cookbook fundraiser will allow IFAPA to provide even more support to our families. Cookbooks are available at our office in Ankeny or you can order one below and have it shipped to you.

BUY COOKBOOK HERE