Success Story: Iowa

The state of Iowa has implemented a number of key strategies to support youth in foster care and young people transitioning into adulthood.  Iowa’s efforts focus on reducing the number of youth who “age out” by establishing permanent homes and enhancing supports for young people who are transitioning out of foster care into adulthood.  Iowa’s efforts also include trying to establish permanent connections for young people who have already transitioned out of care.  Some of the state’s policy changes, partnerships and state-wide initiatives include:

• Statewide Planning Process. The Child Welfare Advisory Committee Permanency Subcommittee was formed to pull together a host of permanency-related efforts.  The subcommittee established a vision statement and a set of principles and is working to create a statewide plan for permanency.

• Court Attendance. In 2008 legislation required that if a child is of an age appropriate to attend the hearing but the child does not attend, the court is to determine if the child was informed of the child's right to attend the hearing.

• College Financial Aid. Legislation expanded financial assistance to cover the costs of college for any youth who ages out of foster care (or adopted youth if 16 or over when adopted) at any public or private university or two-year college up to the full cost of attendance after other financial aid is applied.  The assistance provided is beyond Education Training Vouchers and Pell Grants.

• Health Care. The state has expanded Medicaid eligibility to age 21 for young adults that were in foster care.

• Independent Living. Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) legislation extended support for youth leaving foster care to age 21, including a $2.9 million annual state appropriation.

• Vital Records. A 2008 law requires the Iowa Department of Human Services to provide all children and youth in foster care with a certified copy of their birth certificate and federal social security card, prior to the time they reach 18.

• Professional Development. The University of Iowa Child Welfare Supervisor Training grant funds Improving Outcomes for Transitioning Youth , a two-day training for all child welfare supervisors in the state and a one-day follow-up training for front-line social workers.

• Racial Equity. While it is not a state law, several counties engaged in a breakthrough series focused on racial equity.  Child welfare agency staff is additionally trained on racial disproportionality in the child welfare system.

• Youth Engagement. The "Iowa Youth Dream Team,"  a youth-centered planning model, was developed to identify permanent connections for youth in foster care and create youth-directed transition plans.