Governor Reynolds Signs Guardianship and Conservatorship Reform Legislation

     In a ceremony on May 1, 2019 Governor Reynolds signed legislation that transfers jurisdiction over minor guardianship from Probate Court to Juvenile Court. The Child Advocacy Board provided endorsement and support of this legislative change. Board Chair Beth Myers and Vice Chair Wayne Schellhammer appeared at a number of legislative subcommittee and committee hearings to speak in support of the legislation. The move of this responsibility provides to children and youth who are placed under state guardianship the benefit of having the one child-one judge philosophy of the juvenile court applied for these young people. This approach allows greater continuity in court decisions and direction along. It also brings the wisdom of judges who are steeped in knowledge of the traumatic impact

separation from the family can have on the child.

     The change in the law also ensures additional protections of the rights of all parties in guardianship cases, that each appointed guardian will develop a care plan specific to the needs of each child, and that the guardian’s responsibility to report on the care plan will not be waived. These protections guard against problems that emerged when children were under the jurisdiction of the probate court. The changes in the law were based on over 200 recommendations made by the Supreme Court Task Force on Guardianship and Conservatorship reform. I was honored to be appointed by the Supreme Court to act as one representative of child advocacy interests on the Task Force.

     Pictured above with Governor Reynolds at the signing ceremony is Professor Josephine Gittler, from University of Iowa Law School. Professor Gittler along with then-Professor Jerry Foxhoven provided coordination and support of the work of the Task Force. Professor Gittler continued to shepherd the development of legislation based on the Task Force recommendations and guide the proposal through the legislative process. With the Governor’s signature, the reforms are now the law of the land.

     This is a good day for Iowa’s vulnerable children.

                                                                                                                        Jim Hennessey

In the movie, Instant Family, when Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of foster care adoption. They hope to take in one small child but when they meet three siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl (Isabela Moner), they find themselves speeding from zero to three kids overnight. Now, Pete and Ellie must hilariously try to learn the ropes of instant parenthood in the hopes of becoming a family. INSTANT FAMILY is inspired by the real events from the life of writer/director Sean Anders and also stars Octavia Spencer, Tig Notaro and Margo Martindale.

Instant Family is based on the real-life story of Director Sean Anders and his wife, Beth, who adopted children from the foster care system.  The movie also offers a closer look at youth adoption from the perspective of Maraide Green, a young woman who was adopted as a youth.  Ms. Green served as a consultant and production assistant on the film.

To hear about the making of the film from Sean and Maraide, please https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GRGufu0nfY.  You can also hear more from Maraide in her own words at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxs9Rc0dYDY.

In recognition of and respect for the difference CASA Advocates make in children’s life, the Instant Family website includes a link to learn more about becoming a CASA.  Please visit http://www.instantfamily.org/learnmore.html to learn more the work that has grown out of this movie: You can also keep track of what’s happening on the Instant Family’s Facebook page.

You can view Instant Family on Amazon Prime, rent it at a Red Box or stream it.

May is National Foster Care Month—a time to acknowledge the foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections. It is also a time to focus on ways to create a bright future for the more than 440,000 children and youth across the United States in foster care.

This year, the theme for National Foster Care Month is “Foster care as a support to families, not a substitute for parents.” Resources on the National Foster Care Month website emphasize how the child welfare system—through community engagement, collaborative relationships, and targeted support services—can strengthen families, improve well-being, and increase the likelihood of successful reunification. View the resources. 

While children are placed in foster care, it is critical to advocate that siblings have consistent contact with one another if they are unable to be placed together.  This promotes resilience and strengthens ties to their identify and history. 

Experts estimate that 23% to 75% of foster care children with siblings are placed separately at any given time, and that separation is more likely in traditional family foster care than in kinship care.

Separation from a sibling can be an additional loss that brings its own stress, grief, and fear during an already turbulent time in a child’s life. Read more on The Importance of Sibling Relationships here.

FCRB and CASA Advocacy in Action

• Recommend joint placement of children when it is in the best interest of the sibling group.
• Be aware that there are many types of siblings and only the child knows the value of each relationship. Deep bonds can be formed with having a shared history with full-, step-, half- or non-siblings.
• Gather information from the child on the importance and closeness of a particular sibling bond.
• Recognize and respect cultural and circumstantial differences in defining sibling relationships.
• If siblings cannot be placed together, advocate for siblings to have access to one another as much as possible. In-person meetings, video calls, or phone contact are instrumental in maintaining sibling connections.

To listen to engaging first-person perspectives from children, youth, families, and professionals with child welfare system experience, click on Real Life Stories.  These narratives highlight the concept of supportive relationships as key factors in achieving family stability, individual success, and maintaining family connections.