Join the FAM Today and be Part of the Mission!

At Harvest Bible Chapel Des Moines, our Family Advocacy Ministry exists because Christ’s love compels us to care for the most vulnerable. God calls His people to defend the fatherless, support families in crisis, and provide loving homes for children in need. Whether upstream, midstream, or downstream—through family stabilization, foster care, or adoption—we step in to reflect His mercy and grace. This is the heart of the gospel in action.

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” -1 Peter 4:8-11

How You Can Get Involved!

Together For Good Become a Foster Parent Join a Care Community Pursue or Support Adoption Who to Contact at Harvest

What is Together For Good?

Together For Good (TFG) is one of Harvest’s ministry partners who creates pathways for the Church to come alongside vulnerable children and families in Christ-centered ministry. Together, we work to ensure that families never walk alone.

When parents face a crisis without a support system, they become vulnerable, which increases the risk of trauma for children. 

At TFG, we offer a safe home for children so that parents can pursue stability. This happens through our host families, who are trained volunteers who welcome at-risk children into their homes – without being paid – for either short-term or long-term care. Additionally, we train and connect parent advocates to our TFG participant parents to provide ongoing relational support so that parents can focus on being the best parents that they can be.

Options For Getting Involved

  • Become a support volunteer
    • A support volunteer meets tangible needs as opportunities arise.
    • Example Opportunities: 
      • Providing diapers, backpacks, meals, Easter baskets, etc.
      • Providing transportation
      • Providing service (mechanic, notary, housecleaning, etc.)
  • Become a Parent Advocate
    • An advocate comes alongside TFG parents through friendship, mentorship, and prayer.
  • Become a Host Family
    • A host family opens up their home for either short-term hostings (typically a weekend) or long-term hostings (these are very rare!).

What is Foster Care?

Foster care is a temporary home for a child with a caring family. The goal is to safely reunite these children with their birth families. As a foster parent, your impact goes beyond a child—you may have a chance to help an entire family move toward wholeness.

Children in foster care come from all backgrounds. They range in age from birth to age 18. Many have siblings in foster care with them. Most have experienced abuse or neglect.

These children enter foster care through no fault of their own. However, kids who have faced trauma sometimes have learned habits or behaviors to keep themselves safe. You can give them a nurturing home where they feel safe to learn new habits.

All of these children are in the protective custody of the state. The ultimate goal of foster care is to reunify children with their birth families.

However, in some situations, the courts decide reunification with the birth family will not be possible. A judge can then decide through a series of court hearings to terminate the parents’ legal rights to their child. If both parents have rights terminated, then the child is legally available for adoption, and his or her HHS caseworker may look for an adoptive home.

 

How to Become a Foster Parent

Four Oaks is the sole provider of foster parent recruitment, retention and training in Iowa. It usually takes about six to nine months to complete this process. You’ll need to click the above link and:

  1. Review the orientation presentation prior to submitting an inquiry below.
  2. Fill out an online inquiry form.
  3. Complete an Orientation for Prospective Foster/Adoptive Parents online or by phone.
  4. Complete fingerprint and background checks (forms sent to you after inquiry).
  5. Attend an eleven-week series of training classes called NTDC.
  6. Before completion of NTDC class/home study process you will need to complete CPR/FA training, Mandatory Reporter Training, Medication Management booklet, and Universal Precautions booklet. If you already have some of these trainings completed please review and give certificates to your homestudy worker as you may not need to redo them.
  7. Upon completion of your home study by your RRTS Caseworker it will be submitted to HHS for final approval of a foster care license and/or adoption approval.

What is a Care Community?​

Seeing families thrive takes a team effort. A Care Community is an engineered team, much like an extended family, of 4-8 committed and equipped volunteers who support and serve a foster, adoptive, kinship, or bio family and all the children in their care. This team provides regular and ongoing practical help such as providing meals, tutoring, childcare, transportation, laundry, yard work, etc. 

The national average of families who continue fostering after their first year is 50%, but when supported by a Care Community, 90% continue fostering into a second year. Join us in supporting these families in caring for children!

 

How Can I Help?

  1. Get in touch with our coordinator, Katie Pearce: katierpearce@gmail.com
  2. Attend or complete volunteer training (about 40-60 min).
  3. Decide upon what volunteer role would work best for you.
  4. Meet and greet with your new community.
  5. Begin to serve; volunteers are asked to serve for one year.

God is calling me to move forward with adoption, what might the process look like?

  1. Call and interview agencies to learn about programs, processes, and opportunities.
  2. After the adoption route and agency is decided on, expect lots of paperwork! A home study will be required—both a document gathering portion and actual visits to your home. Domestic and International have varying documents and processes but your social worker and agency will help with all of it.
  3. Invite people to pray over the decisions, seek out other adoptive families for support and community.

 

I would love to help and support an adoptive family!

  1. Prayer—Ask for specific prayer requests and pray with and for them.
  2. Connect with a Care Community for meal trains and other specific needs.
  3. Gift cards or financial support —Medical, government, travel, documents, and legal expenses can create a burden on families during all phases of adoption. Fundraisers, grants, and gifts are always a blessing so the family can focus on the more emotional parts of the journey.

I would like more information about…

Together For Good

Foster Care & Care Communities

Adoption