Gov. Reynolds signs bill to reform foster care training, commits to federal partnership to increase foster homes

Today, Governor Kim Reynolds signed state legislation and a joint proclamation with the federal Administration of Children and Families (ACF) which aim to strengthen Iowa's foster care system.

Now signed into law, Senate File 2096 shifts the focus of foster training to a competency-based model and reduces barriers for qualified caregivers-ensuring children are supported by well-prepared, confident families.

The governor also affirmed the state's commitment to join ACF, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in its national effort to right-size the ratio of foster homes to the number of children in the foster system. "A Home for Every Child" aims to improve foster placement stability, strengthen caregiver support and ensure every child has a safe and nurturing home.

"By adopting this modernized training framework, we're reducing obstacles for prospective foster parents, and creating more stable, supportive homes for children," said Governor Reynolds. "The alignment with ACF's "A Home for Every Child" initiative further reinforces the state's commitment to national best practices and to ensuring every child has an opportunity to thrive in a safe and loving environment."

"A Home for Every Child" directly supports President Trump's Executive Order "Fostering the Future" and First Lady Melania Trump's whole-of-government commitment to improving outcomes for children in foster care.

"The Trump Administration is thrilled to welcome Iowa as the 9th state to join A Home for Every Child," said Alex J. Adams, Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families. "Under the leadership of Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa is removing barriers that might discourage loving families from fostering, supporting and expanding kinship care, and cutting red tape that too often distracts from the priority of caring for our most vulnerable children. We are grateful to partner with Iowa to deliver a better future for children and families throughout the state."

In recent years, Iowa has prioritized family-strengthening programs through evidence-based home visiting, family preservation services and subsidized guardianship. These strategies have reduced the number of children in foster care, increased placements with relatives and fictive kin, and lowered the number of youths aging out of care.

"In addition to these initiatives focused on improvements in foster care, we are modernizing our outdated child welfare IT system. Partnering with Google on our Vision project ensures that our workforce has the tools they need to focus their time on what's most important-spending time with families," said Iowa HHS Director Larry Johnson.

Key improvements established through Senate File 2096:

• Moves from hours to competency: Training now focuses on whether foster parents have the skills needed to safely and effectively care for children, rather than meeting a fixed number of hours.

• Allows training to be tailored: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can customize learning to match a caregiver's background and the specific needs of the child in their home.

• Reduces barriers to entry: The law reduces barriers that can discourage qualified individuals-such as teachers, nurses, and other trained professionals-from becoming foster parents.

• Maintains and strengthens core training: Critical topics such as trauma, attachment, safety, and behavior management remain required to ensure all foster parents are thoroughly prepared.

• Recognizes prior experience: Relevant professional or lived experience can now count toward training requirements, preventing duplication while making sure any knowledge gaps are addressed.

• Improves placement matching and stability: By ensuring caregivers are trained specifically for the needs of the child placed with them, Iowa expects better placement matches and fewer disruptions.

• Supports recruitment and retention: A more flexible and relevant training approach makes it easier to bring in new foster families and keep experienced ones.