Licensing of child-placingand group care agencies.

Iowa law requires licensing of agencies that provide child-placing services (adoption, foster care and supervised apartment living) and children's residential group foster care facilities. The goal is to provide appropriate protection for children who are separated from their families. Seethe licensing categories listed below.

Licensing Categories

• Certified Adoption Investigators ~ a person who conducts home studies to provide adoption services to individuals and families independent of an agency.
  

• Child Placing Agency ~ an agency that provides adoption, foster care, supervised apartment living services.
  

• Group Foster Care Facilities ~ a facility that provides children's residential group foster care, shelter and detention services.

This excludes the following Habilitation programs; see contact information

listed below:

• ICF/MR (Intermediate Care Facility/Mental Retardation)

• RCF (Residential Care Facility)

• RCF/MR (Residential Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded)

• RCF/PMI (Residential Care Facility/Persons with Mental Illness)
  

Licensing Applications (not for child care)
To request an application for a child-placing or group foster care facility, please contact:

Carol Gerleman
Dept of Human Services
Division of Adult, Children & Family Services

Hoover Bldg., 5th Floor

1305 East Walnut
Des Moines, IA 50319

Phone: 515-242-5451

Email: cgerlem@dhs.state.ia.us

To fill out an onlineApplication for License or Certificate of Approval, click on link below:

Application for License or Certificate of Approval

Licensing Rules
For information on Licensing Standards, see the Iowa Administrative Rules.

Licensing List - Iowa Agencies and Facilities

DHS Maintains a complete list of child-placing agencies and group foster care facilities in Iowa.

Certified Adoption Investigator Applications
To request an application for a Certified Adoption Investigator please contact:

Carol Gerleman

Dept of Human Services

Division of Adult, Children & Family Services

Hoover Bldg., 5th Floor

1305 East Walnut

Des Moines, IA 50319

Phone: 515-242-5451

Email: cgerlem@dhs.state.ia.us

To fill out an online Certified Adoption investigator application, click on link below:

Certified Adoption Investigator application

Certified Adoption Investigator Rules
To view rules related to certification adoption investigators, see the Iowa Administrative Rules.

Certified Adoption Investigators List
DHS maintains a complete list of Certified Adoption Investigators licensed in Iowa.

Habilitation Services (children/adult services)
For information on ICF/MR (Intermediate Care Facility/Mental Retardation), contact:

Ronda Bennett

Dept of Inspections & Appeals

Health Facilities Division

Lucas Building, 3rd Floor

Des Moines, IA 50319

Phone: 515-281-3759

Email: ronda.bennett@dia.iowa.gov

For information on any of the following:

• RCF (Residential Care Facility)
• RCF/MR (Residential Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded)
• RCF/PMI (Residential Care Facility/Persons with Mental Illness)

Contact:

Deb Dixon

Deptof Inspections & Appeals

Health Facilities Division

Lucas Building, 3rd Floor

Des Moines, IA 50319

Phone: 515-281-4081

Email: deb.dixon@dia.iowa.gov

Additional Contacts

For information regarding complaints for children's residential group care, shelters or detentions, contactDeb Dixonat 515-281-4081 or deb.dixon@dia.iowa.gov.

For information regarding child care centers or registration of child development homes, contact Mykala Robinson at 515-281-0442or mrobins@dhs.state.ia.us.

For information regarding the special needs adoption program, contact Tracey Parker at 515-281-8799 or tparker@dhs.state.ia.us.

For information regarding Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association (IFAPA), contactTracey Parker at 515-281-8799 or visit IFAPA at www.ifapa.orgor1-800-277-8145.

For information regarding Foster Home Licensing and Special Needs Adoption contact Iowa KidsNet at,www.iowakidsnet.com or 1-800-243-0756.

For information regarding International Adoption procedures, visit www.uscis.gov. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Servicesin Iowa is located in the Federal Building, 210 Walnut, Room 369, Des Moines, IA. Business phone is 515-323-2050.

For information regarding International and/or private infant adoptions,

visit the Iowa Association of Adoption Agencies (IAAA) website at www.iowaadoption.org

For information regarding home and community based services waivers, visit www.ime.state.ia.us/HCBS/HCBSindex.html

For questions or comments related to this web page, contact the licensing pagemaster.