With 100,000 U.S. children waiting for forever families, local non-profit calls on communities to support foster care and adoption. By Diana Lang, Ph.D., Executive Director and Founder AMES, Iowa — August 31, 2026 — Across the United States, thousands of children spend years in foster care, often placed in group settings due to a critical shortage of foster homes. Nationwide, approximately 100,000 children are waiting for permanent families, while roughly 15,000 young people age out of the...

by Diana L. Lang, Ph.D. Executive Director/Founder Across the United States, thousands of children and youth are waiting for something every child deserves: a safe, stable, permanent family. ❤️🏡 Children enter foster care because of circumstances they did not create, often involving abuse, neglect, or unsafe living conditions. For some, foster care becomes a long journey marked by separation from siblings, multiple placements, trauma, uncertainty, and years of waiting. Some ultimately age...

All are welcome to attend the From Hope to Home Gala on Sept. 17 from 5:30-8:30p at Reiman Gardens, Ames, Iowa. Ruth Eley, a featured speaker, will discuss foster care, adoption and advocacy.