Iowa (RI) — A program launching this month aims to help Iowa foster families find the items they need to prepare for kids to move in, as foster families typically only get a few hours’ notice before a child is placed with them.
Traci Schermerhorn leads Foster Squad, a nonprofit that supports foster and kinship families. Its eQuipHub platform will allow anyone to post an item up for grabs, like a bed frame, to connect with a foster family who needs it quickly.
A recent state report found there were nearly 24 hundred children referred to foster homes in Iowa last year, compared to only about 17 hundred licensed foster families. Schermerhorn, who used to foster, says it’s important that foster families secure needed items quickly because kids often show up with very little warning.
She hopes people will learn more about foster care through the program. It will launch in several central Iowa counties before expanding across the state.
(Meghan McKinney, Iowa Public Radio)
