Iowa held its place at fifth in an annual Kids Count report which ranks each of the states on how well they do in taking care of kids. Iowa Kids Count Director, Michael Crawford, says the state has ranked anywhere from third to fifth in the last five years -- and this year holds that trend. "We've … [Read more...]
Supreme Court says contracts with surrogate mothers are legal
The Iowa Supreme Court rules that contracts made with surrogate mothers are legal in the state. The case involves a couple from Cedar Rapids who were nearing 50 years old when they married in 2013 and decided they wanted to have a child. They placed an online ad in 2015 and signed an agreement to … [Read more...]
Weekend event highlighted adoption
Child adoption events were held in several Iowa cities this past weekend, with two of the largest events in Black Hawk and Hamilton counties. As part of the Adoption Saturday event in Webster City, a family from Rockwell City family adopted a boy just in time for Thanksgiving. Rachel Black said … [Read more...]
Ernst proposes legislation to allow states flexibility with federal poverty programs
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is cosponsoring legislation with fellow Republican Senator Marco Rubio or Florida, which she says will help states make better use of federal programs for those trying to get out of poverty. Ernst, who is from Red Oak, says her travels around the state raised several … [Read more...]
Lawyer and child advocate tapped to take over as DHS director
Governor Kim Reynolds is hiring a lawyer with a long career as a child advocate to lead a state agency under scrutiny for how its child welfare programs are managed. Sixty-four-year-old Jerry Foxhoven will take over as director of the Iowa Department of Human Services on Thursday. Foxhoven worked … [Read more...]
Bill would increase scrutiny of illegal drug use in homes with children
Child welfare experts at the Iowa Department of Human Services are seeking changes in state law to better protect children whose caregivers are involved with illegal drugs. Under a proposed bill, a wider variety of controlled substances would trigger a child abuse investigation. Jenae Harvey, with … [Read more...]
Iowa Policy Project report calls for adjusting government supports for families
A report from the Iowa Policy Project (IPP) suggests the state make some changes to help families who face more expenses as they make more money and become ineligible for government support programs. IPP research director Peter Fisher says they looked at several of the programs. "Most support … [Read more...]
Iowa KidsNet seeks foster families
There's an urgent call for Iowa families to open their homes to take in foster children and to adopt. Bambi Schrader, recruitment supervisor for Iowa KidsNet, says there's a critical need for families to shelter sibling groups, teenagers and children who are older than eight-years-old. "We have … [Read more...]
Iowa moves up a spot to 3rd in ‘Kids Count’ report
The new "Kids Count" report on the wellbeing of children ranks Iowa third in the nation overall, up one slot from fourth place last year. Laura Speer, spokeswoman for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, says Iowa is in the top tiers of a majority of the key areas of the study, with 16 categories … [Read more...]
Study finds 1 in 10 older mothers have an estranged child
A relationship study of older mothers found more issues than expected with their children. Iowa State University researcher Megan Gilligan is the lead author the study which she says found 1 in 10 mothers had at least one estranged child. They didn't start the study with a focus on finding mom and … [Read more...]