Iowa post-adoption support

Below are post-adoption support services available to families who live in Iowa. Services may not be available in all areas and/or may be dependent upon the circumstances of the placement. Please check with your post-adoption services provider about the availability of specific post-adoption or guardianship support services for your family. You can also visit Child Welfare Information Gateway for information on Adoption and Guardianship Assistance, as well as additional information on post-adoption support.

Post-adoption/guardianship support services

In Iowa, adoptive and guardianship families have access to the following services:

Child/youth assessment
Information (websites, fact sheets, articles, etc.)
Referral to services
Training/other development
Case management
Peer support for parents
Community-based therapeutic services
Crisis intervention

The following services may be available as part of an adoption/guardianship subsidy agreement based on the needs of the individual child:

Educational support
Respite care

Who is eligible for these services?

Families who have adopted from the state’s foster care system
Families who took guardianship of a child from the state’s foster care system

Parent support groups

Below are support groups for adoptive, kinship, and foster families. Support groups may be offered as part of a state’s post-adoption/guardianship support program, through a statewide or regional foster or adoptive parent association, through specific agencies, or may be run independently. If we have additional information about the group’s purpose or the community served, it’s provided under the group’s contact information.

To add a group or make a suggestion, email the AdoptUSKids family support team.

Statewide associations

Four Oaks Foster & Adoptive Family Connection
foster-adopt@fouroaks.org, 877-364-1113

Parent groups (open to foster, adoptive, and kinship families)

Carroll Area Connection Group
712-210-3518
Location: Carroll

Cedar Rapids Area Connection Group
lkelsey@fouroaks.org
Location: Cedar Rapids

Council Bluffs and Surrounding Communities Connection Group
alopez@fouroaks.org
Location: Virtual

Des Moines Area Connection Group
mijohnson@fouroaks.org
Location: West Des Moines

Eastern Area Connection Group
ccarr@fouroaks.org
Location: Virtual

Foster Parent, Adoptive, and Kinship Family Connection Group
bsweragen@fouroaks.org, sutoft@fouroaks.org
Location: Fremont and/or Oskaloosa

Newton Connection Group
sutoft@fouroaks.org
Location: Newton

Northern Adoption Connection
thagar@fouroaks.org
Location: Virtual

Ottumwa Connection Group
sutoft@fouroaks.org
Location: Ottumwa

Sioux City Iowa Virtual Connection Group
Ranessa.Chase@lsiowa.org
Location: Sioux City (virtual)

Southern Service Area 3 Connection Group
kmiller@fouroaks.org
Location: Virtual, open to the counties of Muscatine, Louisa, Des Moines, Henry, and Lee

Supper With Shannon
sutoft@fouroaks.org
Location: Virtual, open to the counties of Washington, Keokuk, Mahaska, Monroe, Wappelo, Jefferson, Van Buren, Davis, Appanoose, Poweshiek, and Jasper