Families Helping Families of Iowa is proud to offer support programs to help families and children in foster care throughout the state of Iowa. Our support programs are utilized by thousands of families across the state each year, from preparing students for school through tutoring and activity scholarships to providing clothing options for foster and adoptive families in need.
Clothing Closet
With generous donations from sponsors and the community, Families Helping Families offers new and gently used clothing, infant supplies, and hygiene items suitable for foster and adopted children aged newborn to 18 years old. Our Clothing Closet is located in the Families Helping Families office at 6000 7th St SW Cedar Rapids, IA 52404, and is staffed by volunteers.
Haircuts for Kids
Confidence in how you look translates to confidence in many areas of life. We offer a Haircuts for Kids program to support foster and adopted children in feeling their best. Eligible students in foster care can receive two complimentary vouchers for haircuts per year, as well as a one the Back-to-School Rally. These haircuts are provided by professional hairdressers at local salons.
Senior Celebration
Only about half of foster children graduate high school. Graduation is a time to celebrate a foster child’s graduation with the Senior Celebration program. Through the Senior Celebration program, families can get help paying for their foster senior’s graduation party.
Senior Photos
Every high school senior wants to feel good about their legacy in the school yearbook. At Families Helping Families of Iowa, we support that goal with a complimentary one-hour photography session for foster children for professionally taken senior pictures through our Senior Photos Program. Foster parents and guardians receive electronic copies of the final photos, so they can print them at their leisure.
Shoe Voucher Program
Through a collaboration with the Kiwanis Club of Cedar Rapids, each child placed in foster care, relative, or other approved placement is eligible to receive one shoe voucher per year valued at $50. The vouchers are redeemable at any Kohl’s Department Store, through our Shoe Voucher Program. Thanks to funds received from the Kiwanis Club, private donations, and grants, we have offered more than 1,000 pairs of shoes for foster and adopted children throughout Iowa.
Soaring Towards Success Tutoring Program
Our Soaring Toward Success Tutoring Program offers tutoring opportunities for students, to help sustain confidence and success in the classroom throughout the school year. This program also covers school supplies, books, and study materials to help kids succeed.
Spread Your Wings Activity Scholarship Program
The Spread Your Wings Activity Scholarship Program helps children in foster care, relative, or other approved placement increase their confidence by providing financial assistance through scholarships to enroll in extracurricular activity(ies) of interest including art, music, sports and more. We have funded hundreds of opportunities for foster children by providing financial assistance for program fees, equipment, uniforms, and more.