The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is committed to supporting families so youth who enter foster care can return home safely as soon as possible. Regardless of the transition plan, youth aged 14 and older are provided a variety of developmentally appropriate supports and services to help them prepare for adulthood. When a youth is not able to return to family or an alternative permanent family, the department engages the youth and family to plan for the transition to adulthood and ensure the youth has the skills needed to be successful. Below you will find a brief description of the available resources and links to related sites for youth who are approaching age 18 and planning to exit the child welfare and juvenile justice system.
Iowa Foster Child and Youth Bill of Rights, Comm. 437
The rent subsidy program will end June 30, 2024. Please contact an aftercare representative at Iowa Aftercare with questions about housing supports for foster care alumni.
Transitioning Into Adulthood
As teens prepare to exit the foster care system at age 18 or older, there are many things that must be taken into consideration. Transition planning should begin well before the youth prepares to exit the system in order to have a solid discharge plan when the time comes for the youth to be on their own. Not only does the youth need to have developed life skills while in care, they also need to have a plan for continuing education or employment, housing, access to health care, and maintaining a positive support system.
Principles of Transition
- The case manager convenes youth-centered meetings with the youth and family members, service providers and others identified by the youth to support them as they prepare for adulthood. The youth-centered meetings start at age 14 and take place periodically until the youth exits care.
- Case managers are responsible for ensuring the transition needs of a youth are met. Transition Planning Specialists are available to assist as needed.
- Transition Plans become part of the Case Permanency Plan at age 14.
- A life skills assessment is completed with the youth, to help identify skills needed.
- A list of rights of children in foster care is provided teens in foster care.
- “Health care proxy” tool, provided to youth age 18.
- Birth Certificates, state identification and Social Security Cards provided by age 18.
- Referral to adult services and Aftercare Services Program at age 17.
- Include Aftercare provider in transition meetings at age 17.
- Local Transition Committees review all foster care cases prior to age 17.5.
Transition planning for an individual in foster care is coordinated by the case manager of the youth in foster care. If you have questions about the process of transition planning, please contact the Transition Planning Specialist in your area, identified in the current Iowa TPS Map.
The Transition Information Packet (TIP) is a resource for youth preparing to enter adulthood. TIP contains information on education, employment, money management, housing, health and transportation. Youth who are referred to a TPS will receive a copy of the TIP.
Videos: Building a Foundation for Adulthood:
Family Team Decision-Making Meetings, Comm. 265
Reuniones para la toma de decisiones en equipo familiar, Comm. 265(S)
Family Team and Youth Transition Decision-Making Standards, Comm. 283
Achieving Maximum Potential (AMP) is Iowa's Youth Council for children in foster care and youth transitioning to adulthood. Local AMP youth councils are facilitated by local partner agencies subcontracted by lead agency Youth and Shelter Services Inc. AMP offers leadership opportunities, service-learning projects, speaking opportunities, and educational or vocational assistance to youth ranging from ages 13 through age 22 who have been involved in foster care, adoption or other out-of-home placements.
AMP partners with Iowa State Training School staff to deliver life skills training and leadership opportunities to youth placed at the facility. AMP provides the life skills youth need to become self-sufficient, independent adults. AMP's youth engagement efforts can be summarized by the motto "nothing about us, without us. AMP involves young people as advocates for themselves and as a voice for system-level improvements in child welfare policies and practices.
More information and the application process can be found at AMPIOWA (weareampiowa.com).
The Iowa Aftercare Services Program (Aftercare) is a case management program for youth who exit any of the department’s foster care services at or around the age of 18. Aftercare provides each participant support and guidance through regular, individual meetings with a self-sufficiency advocate. Advocates assess the participant for life skills and help the youth develop a self-sufficiency plan, complete with developmentally appropriate goals and objectives. Aftercare uses specific programming to seek important outcomes around housing, education, employment, and relationships. Financial assistance is available to support youth achieving their self-sufficiency goals. Aftercare partners with the Iowa Finance Authority for an Aftercare Rent Subsidy Program which promotes housing stability for transitioning youth.
The Iowa Aftercare Services Program can help if you are:
- Age 18 through 22, and
- Are no longer in foster care, and
- Are residents of Iowa, and
- Meet any one of the following requirements:
- Were in foster care when they reached age 18, or
- Exited foster care between age 17 ½ and 18 and have been in care for at least 6 months immediately prior to exiting care, or
- Were adopted from foster care or exited foster care with support from the Subsidized Guardianship Program on or after age 16, or
- Were in the State Training School (STS) or court-ordered detention when they reached age 18, or exited STS or court-ordered detention between 17 ½ and 18 and had been in care for at least 6 months immediately prior to exiting care.
- Note: Foster care is defined as a court ordered placement (family foster care, relative care, QRTP, shelter, or other approved arrangement), regardless of license or payment, when HHS or JCS had responsibility for supervision of the youth.
Covered Services
Case management. Case management activities provided to each participant include:
- Community involvement services to enable the participant to access community resources; and
- Development of support systems, including services to assist the participant in establishing or reestablishing relationships with significant adults.
Individual face-to-face contact with the participant at a frequency as defined in the participant’s self-sufficiency plan is provided to ensure that the participant is meeting the goals of the plan. Each participant receives assistance developing a self-sufficiency plan based on an assessment of the participant’s strengths and needs. Each participant receives life skills services to enable participant to maintain a safe, healthy, and stable home.
The self-sufficiency plan will identify:
- The participant’s goals for achieving self-sufficiency;
- The target date for reaching the goals; and
- The tasks, responsible parties, time frames, and desired outcomes needed to reach the goals.
Ongoing assessment. Ongoing assessment activities shall be directed toward:
- Monitoring the progress being made in the participant’s ability to achieve self-sufficiency; and
- Coordination and evaluation of the services and supports being provided to reach the self-sufficiency goal.
Limited payments to the participant are available to meet direct expenses of the participants in order to meet goals of the participant’s self-sufficiency plan.
The Administrative Rules pertaining to the Iowa Aftercare Services Program are in section 187 of the Services Chapter of the Iowa Administrative Code.
For more information visit: Iowa Aftercare Services Network
The purpose of the Enhanced Medicaid for Independent Young Adults (EMIYA) program is to provide continued health coverage to young adults transitioning to adulthood from state care and custody.
Eligibility Criteria
EMIYA currently provides Medicaid coverage to eligible youth:
- Who are living in Iowa
- Who are under age 26
- Who were in a foster care placement when they turned age 18
- Who were receiving federal Medicaid when they turned age 18
- Note: Other eligibility requirements may apply
Youth covered by the EMIYA program receive covered services through existing Medicaid provider networks.
How to Apply:
To apply for EMIYA in person contact your local HHS county office or click apply online to complete an application.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
There are several resources available that will assist youth with college expenses. The first step in receiving any type of financial aid for college is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The FAFSA is the application for federal grants and scholarships (like the Pell Grant) and must be completed if the student is to receive any financial aid. The results of the FAFSA determine how much financial aid each student will receive.
Students who are in any type of court ordered foster care at age 13 or older can answer 'yes' to the question which asks, "At any time since you turned 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court?" By answering yes, the student will be treated as an independent student and no parental information or income is required. Students who answer 'yes' to this question should anticipate that the college or university will require proof of their foster care or ward of the court status. Most colleges or universities will accept a copy of the court order placing the youth into the care of the department or a letter from a social worker on department letterhead.
If you need written proof of foster care, please view the Iowa Map to locate the Transition Planning Specialist in your area. They will provide a letter stating foster care experience.
The FAFSA should be completed in October for students intending to start college in August. For assistance completing the FAFSA, please contact Iowa College Aid or a Transition Planning Specialist.
The Education and Training Voucher (ETV) provides awards of up to $5,000 per year to students who age out of foster care or students who are adopted or exited foster care with support from the Subsidized Guardianship Program after age 16. Awards are sent directly to the college or university and can be used to pay for tuition/fees, room/board, book/supplies and personal/living expenses.
Click here to download and/or print an ETV Informational Flyer.
Eligibility Criteria
You may be eligible if you are under age 26 and:
- Exited foster care within 30 days of turning age 18 (or older), or
- Exited foster care with support from the Subsidized Guardianship Program at age 16 or older, or
- Were adopted from foster care at age 16 or older, and
- Have not received ETV in more than five school years.
* A student's age will be determined by student's age as of July 1 each year.
How to Apply:
Iowa Financial Aid Application
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Important Dates:
The Iowa Financial Aid Application will be available October 1 through December 1 of the following year.
The All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship (AIOS) provides awards to students who age out of foster care, students who are adopted after age 16, or students who age out of the Iowa State Training School. The award amount for the 2023-2024 school year was $5,198. Awards are sent directly to the college or university and can be used to pay for tuition/fees, room/board, book/supplies and personal/living expenses.
Eligibility Criteria
You may be eligible if you are under age 26 and:
- Are an Iowa resident, and
- Attending an eligible Iowa college or university, and
- Graduated from an eligible Iowa high school or completed a high school equivalency diploma, and
- Enroll in at least three semester hours (or the trimester or quarter equivalent) in a program leading to an undergraduate degree, diploma or certificate, and
- Have an eligible Student Aid Index (SAI) on the FAFSA equal to or less than the average tuition and fee rate. (For reference, the 2023-24 eligible EFC was $0 - $10,396).
* A student's age will be determined by student's age as of July 1 prior to each academic year.
How to Apply:
Iowa Financial Aid Application
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Important Dates:
- The Iowa Financial Aid Application will be available October 1 through March 1 of each year.
- The application deadline is March 1.