A place to call home

In 2019, Jenny Moon got a call from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Service (DHS) that a couple of the children at her in-home daycare were in need of a place to stay. Moon agreed to take them in, leading to a whole new part of her life.

Now the mother of two adopted boys, Joe and Skyler, along with three biological children, Moon has learned a lot about the foster/adoption world. Since 2019, she has fostered 15 kids. A majority of these children have been teenagers.

“They have a hard time finding placement for teenagers. People find them to be more difficult,” Moon said. “By the time they’re teenagers, they have their own personality. They’ve usually experienced trauma, so behaviors can be a little higher, but in all reality… I mean, I’ve had some really great teenagers come in and out of here.”

Moon’s own two adopted children came into her house as teenage foster children.

“I had Joe for 13 months before I adopted him [in October 2020],” Moon said. “This year in April I adopted another boy that I had in foster care, Skyler.” Both boys were 13 when they came into Moon’s home.

If looking to adopt as a foster parent, Moon said the process takes at least six months.

“When termination (termination of parental rights) happens, the kiddos have to be in your care for at least six months before you can adopt,” Moon said. “If you’re not already licensed [as a foster parent], that sometimes takes three months to get licensed, three or four months, by the time you complete classes. There’s 11 classes you have to take for foster/adoption, it’s a series.”

While fostering or adopting might take a lot of time and work, Moon said it’s important that it is done.

“Every child deserves a home where they can call home,” Moon said. “A lot of their behaviors is because they’ve had so many placements. My youngest had nine placements in four years before he was with me. That’s a lot of placements. They have a sense of not belonging and that’s a part of, all of us need a sense of belonging.”

Many people specifically fear fostering or adopting older children, but that’s something Moon focuses on.

“I work a lot, so teenagers are easier for me with my work schedule,” Moon said. “There’s something about teenagers where you’re helping them learn how to live, not just getting them day to day. You’re teaching them how to do money, you’re teaching them how to be responsible with the real world, where they can succeed once they’re 18.”

Moon said the need for foster parents is high in the area. She encouraged those interested in fostering to find more information at Four Oaks Family and Children Services, where she works.

“We’re licensing case workers for every area in Iowa,” Moon said. “There’s somebody there to help guide them. We need foster parents. We don’t have a lot here in Creston, we don’t have a lot that are licensed for foster care.”