Online Resources for Parents

TRAINING: Current Training Schedule | CPR & First Aid Classes | Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard Training (RPPS) | Social Worker CEU Classes | Online Trainings | Foster Parent Training Report

FORMS:
HHS Forms for Foster Parents | Adoption Respite Form | Friends of Children in Care Forms

SUPPORT:
IFAPA Peer Liaisons | IFAPA Resource Information Specialist | Support Group Locations
FAIR (Abuse Allegations) Program | Clothing Closets | Foster Home Insurance Fund

HHS PAYMENTS:
HHS Foster Family Maintenance Rates
HHS Foster Care Maintenance & Adoption Subsidy Payment Schedule

PUBLICATIONS:
HHS Foster Parent Handbook | IFAPA Newsletters | IFAPA Publications | Lifebook Pages

Building Connections with Your Foster / Adoptive Child

Forming a Healthy Attachment with Your Baby
(Source: BuildingYourFamily.com)

When Adopted Toddlers Reject Their Parents
(Source: RainbowKids.com)

Parental Openness Can Help Children Learn to Trust
(Source: North American Council on Adoptable Children)

Retrace Developmental Stages to Help Older Children Heal
(Source: North American Council on Adoptable Children)

Reactive Attachment Disorder: A New Understanding
Source: Beyond Consequences Institute)

Developing Emotional Attachments in Adopted Children
(Source: AttachmentParenting.org)

Top Ten Tips for the First Year of Placement
(Source: DeborahGray.com)

Attachment and Trauma Articles
(Source: Adoption Today Magazine)

Iowa KidsNet (Foster Parenting in Iowa or Adopting from Iowa's Foster Care System)

HHS Foster Parent Handbook

View Iowa Children Waiting to be Adopted

Iowa Association of Adoption Agencies

AdoptUSKids (National Photolisting Website for Children Awaiting Adoption)

Your Child is Misbehaving, Are You Listening?
(Source: Heather T. Forbes)

Lying: Why and What to Do about It (Part 1)
Lying: Why and What to Do about It (Part 2)
(Source: FosterParentCollege.com)

The Seven Wonders of Adoption (Behavior Issues Related to Separation from Birth Family)
(Source: FosterParentCollege.com)

Foster Children and Cruelty to Animals (Part 1)
Foster Children and Cruelty to Animals (Part 2)
(Source: FosterParentCollege.com)

Help! My Child Runs Away
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth and Families - Wisconsin)

Effective Management of Crisis Behavior
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth and Families - Wisconsin)

Managing Meltdowns - A Cool Down Chart for Kids
(Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association)

OTHER HELPFUL WEBSITES:
Love and Logic (Join the Insider’s E-mail Club for weekly free tips on strengthening your relationships with the kids in your life)

Tips for Helping Children and Teens Before and After Visitation
(Source: Healthy Foster Care America)

Talking to Your Children about Their Birth Parents
(Source: Coalition for Children Youth & Families - Wisconsin)

Impact of Adoption on Birth Parents
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Openness in Adoption: Building Relationships Between Adoptive and Birth Families
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Facilitated Openness Can Benefit Children Adopted from Care
(Source: North American Council on Adoptable Children)

Resource Parents Partnering with Birth Parents to Benefit Children
(Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association)

Completing the Circle: Uncovering, Discovering, and Creating Connections for Your Foster and Adoptive Children (Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association)

Raising Relatives' Children
(Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association)

Searching for Birth Relatives
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Free Lifebook Pages
(Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association)

When to Tell Your Child about Their Adoption
(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)

Talking to Your Child about Adoption
(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)

Talking to Your Child about Adoption - Recommendations for Parents
(Source: National Council for Adoption)

Answering Your Adopted Child's Questions about Birth Parents
(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)

Talking to Your Teen about Being Adopted
(Source American Academy of Pediatrics)

Talking with Your Adopted Teen: It's Possible and Important
(Source: North American Council on Adoptable Children)

Answering Strangers Questions about Adoption
(Source: RainbowKids.com)

Collecting Your Adoptive Child's History (A Workbook for Parents Adopting Older Children)
(Source: DePaul Family Services)

7 Ways to Give Your Child a History
(Source: Gregory C. Keck, Ph.D. & Regina M. Kupecky, LSW)

Free Lifebook Pages
(Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association)

Foster Care and Adoption-Friendly Books
(Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association)

Educator Making a Difference for Students - Adoption, Foster Care and Kinship Care in the School Setting

View IFAPA Trainings Related to Education and the Schools

Creating Trauma-Informed Classrooms
(Source: National Council for Adoption)

Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators
(Source: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

10 Things About Trauma Every Teacher Needs to Know
(Source WeAreTeachers.com)

Helping Classmates Understand Adoption (A School Handout)
(Source: Adoptive Families Magazine)

Parenting Coach Tool (Managing social, emotional and behavioral challenges)
(Source: Understood.org)

Through Your Child's Eyes Tool (Unique simulations and videos to better understand your child's special needs) (Source: Understood.org)

A (Sample) Letter to My Child's Teacher about Reactive Attachment Disorder
(Source: Mommyhood: Striving for Sanity)

Educating About RAD
(Source: Serenity Link Coaching)

Understanding Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
(Source:Understood.org)

College Planning Resources

HHS Foster Family Care Daily Rates
(Source: Iowa Department of Human Services)s)

Payment Schedule for Iowa HHS Foster Care Maintenance Payments & Adoption Subsidy Payments (Source: Iowa Department of Human Services)

HHS Foster Care Clothing Allowance
(Source: Iowa Department of Human Services)

HHS Check Payment Codes
(Source: Iowa Department of Human Services)

Foster Home Insurance Fund
(Source: Iowa Department of Human Services)

Medicaid Reimbursement for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (TMS)
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Transition Update (Posted March 4, 2016)

Friends of Children in Foster Care Program

Clothing Closets that Serve Iowa Foster Families

Adoption Respite

Navigating Iowa's Adoption Subsidy Program
(Source: Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association)

Financial Support for Youth Transitioning from Foster Care to Adulthood

College Scholarship Opportunities for Youth

Families Helping Families of Iowa

iFoster - Discount Program Available to Foster Youth, Foster/Adoptive/Kinship Families

National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline (24/7) 1-888-373-7888

Network Against Human Trafficking

Braking Traffik - Stopping Sexual Exploitation in the Quad Cities Area

Polaris Project

Operation Underground Railroad

Not For Sale Campaign

End Slavery Now

Internationally Adopted Children - Important Information for Parents
(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)

Checklist for International Travel
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families - Wisconsin)

Orphanage Care: When Your Child Comes Home (What to Expect After Adoption)
(Source: RainbowKids.com)

Become an Advocate for Your Child's Education (International Adoption)
(Source: RainbowKids.com)

FosterCub - Free Coloring Pages for Kids Just Entering Foster Care
(Source: FosterClub.com)

Pre-Placement Questionnaire for Foster Parents
(Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association)

Welcoming a Child or Teen into Your Foster Home
(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)

Establishing Household Rules
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families – Wisconsin)

Helping Your Foster Child Transition to Your Adopted Child
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Touchpoints: Preparing Children for Transitions
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families - Wisconsin)

Adopting Older Children - Keys to Easing Adjustment (When Adopting Older Children from Foster Care)

Preparing the Kids in Your Home for Fostering
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families – Wisconsin)

What to Teach Your Child to Prepare Them for a Foster or Adoptive Sibling

Free Welcome Book Pages
(Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association)

Welcome Home Books: Building Connections
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families - Wisconsin)

Transracial Parenting in Foster Care and Adoption: Strengthening Your Bicultural Family
(Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association)

Honoring Your Child's Racial and Cultural Identity
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth and Families - Wisconsin)

Twenty Ideas for Keeping Connections to Racial and Cultural Identity
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth and Families - Wisconsin)

Race and Identity in Transracial Adoption: Suggestions for Adoption Parents
(Source: National Council for Adoption)

Parenting a Child of a Different Race
(Source: NC Division of Social Services and the Family and Children's Resource Program)

Raising a Child of Color in America...While White
(Source: Adoptive Families)

To the White Parents of My Black Son's Friends
(Source: Maralee Bradley)

Bringing Heritage Home

Guide to Exploring African American Culture
(Source: Penn State)

Caring for the Hair of Your African American Child
(Source: Live About)

I'll Make Me a World in Iowa African American Festival (held in Des Moines every January)

Celebrasian - Asian Heritage Festival (held in Des Moines every May)

Iowa's Latino Heritage Festival (held in Des Moines every September)

African American Museum of Iowa (Cedar Rapids, IA)

Forming a Healthy Attachment with Your Baby
(Source: BuildingYourFamily.com)

When Adopted Toddlers Reject Their Parents
(Source: RainbowKids.com)

SIDS - Back to Sleep for Babies in Foster Care: Every Time, with Every Caregiver
(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)

Parenting Your Adopted Preschooler
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

By the Grace of Foster Parents: Fostering Preschool Age Children
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families – Wisconsin)

Parenting Your Adopted School-Age Child
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Parenting Your Adopted Teenager
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Help Me to Succeed - A Guide for Supporting Youth in Foster Care to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
(Source: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy)

Depression in Teens Who Were Adopted: What Families Need to Know
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families – Wisconsin)

How to Resolve Conflicts with Your Teen
(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)

OTHER HELPFUL WEBSITES:
Zero to Three - National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families
Early ACCESS Iowa
KidsHealth.org
Josh Shipp (Teen Expert/Former Foster Child)

Keeping Siblings Connected - How to Build and Maintain Sibling Connections When Placed Separately

Brothers and Sisters: Keeping Siblings in Foster Care Connected (video)

Sibling Issues in Foster Care and Adoption
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Sibling Conflict in Adoptive Families
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families – Wisconsin)

Adoption and Sibling Rivalry
(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)

Preparing the Kids in Your Home for Fostering
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families – Wisconsin)

What to Teach Your Child to Prepare Them for a Foster or Adoptive Sibling

Friends of Children in Foster Care Program (IFAPA)

Families Helping Families - Spread Your Wings

AMP (Achieving Maximum Potential)

Iowa Aftercare Services Network

Iowa Foster Child and Youth Bill of Rights

Transitioning to Adulthood (Additional Iowa Resources)

College Planning/Scholarships

FosterClub

Camillia Network

Iowa Aftercare Services Network

FosterClub's Transition (to Adulthood) Toolkit
(Source: FosterClub.com)

Things People Never Told Me (Advice for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care)

It's Transition Time - Don't Leave Foster Care Without These 21 Things
(Source: FosterClub.com)

Permanency Pact (life-long, kin-like connections between a youth and a supportive adult)
(Source: FosterClub.com)

Preparing for My Transition to Adulthood

Helping Youth Transition to Adulthood: Guidance for Foster Parents
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Supporting Youth Who Transition Out of the Foster Care System at Age 18
(Source: Coalition for Children Youth & Families - Wisconsin)

Free Life Skills Training from Vstreet

DMACC - Connecting Young Adults Program (serving students who were in foster care)

The Guardian Scholars Foundation (A scholarship & support program for youth who spent time in Iowa's foster care system between the ages of 14-18)

Telling Your Money What to Do - The Young Adult's Guide to Budgeting Their Money

OTHER HELPFUL WEBSITES:
Camellia Network

Food and Eating Issues and Children in Foster Care
(Blank Children's Hospital - Regional Child Protection Center)

What is Child Traumatic Stress
(Source: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

Age-Related Reaction to a Traumatic Event
(Source: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

Complex Trauma in Children and Adolescents
(Source: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

Trauma Doesn't Tell Time
(Source: Gobbel Counseling)

A Different Home: A Time of Trauma and Loss for Foster Children
(Source: Dr John DeGarmo)

Working with Children Who Have Been Traumatized
(Source: Coalition for Children, Youth and Families - Wisconsin)

Supporting Brain Development in Traumatized Children and Youth
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Parenting After Trauma: Understanding Your Child's Needs
(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)

How Can Trauma Affect My Young Child
(Source: University of Minnesota - College of Education and Human Development)

Finding Hope After Trauma: The Remarkable Recovery of the Adolescent Brain

Ambiguous Loss Haunts Foster and Adopted Children
(Source: North American Council on Adoptable Children)

PTSD: Thinking about the Adoptee's Trauma
(Source: ABC of Ohio)

PTSD in Children and Adolescents

He Won't Remember - Children and PTSD
(Source: Jolene Philo)

Helping Foster and Adoptive Families Cope with Trauma: A Guide for Pediatricians
(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)

Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

The Truth about ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Possible Risk Outcomes

The Toll of Aces (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Their Effect on Lifelong Health

Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Supporting Maltreated Children: Countering the Effects of Neglect and Abuse
(Source: National Council for Adoption)

My Body Belongs to Me (an animated short film to educate children about sexual abuse)

How and When to Talk to Your Child About Sexual Abuse
(Source: Psychology Today)

Parenting a Child Who has been Sexually Abused: A Guide for Foster and Adoptive Parents
(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway)