About Iowa Friends of Foster Children Foundation

The Iowa Friends of Foster Children Foundation was formed in 1991. Dave and Joan Discher, the founders of the Iowa Friends of Foster Children Foundation, realized that the thrill of having senior pictures taken or the chance of going to summer camp should not be erased once a child or teen is placed in foster care.

Foster families in Iowa are reimbursed for 70% of the USDA established costs of raising a child in the Midwest. Because of this shortfall, items such as musical instruments, prom attire, senior pictures, summer and sports camps, etc. are luxury items that foster children may not be able to receive without the help of the Iowa Friends of Foster Children Foundation. The Friends Foundation was developed with this specific purpose in mind – to offer foster children these opportunities – while helping Iowa’s foster families at the same time.

At any given time, there are approximately 5,000 Iowa children in foster care. The Foundation has a limit of $200 per child each year. To help only half of the 5,000 foster children in Iowa each year, it would cost $500,000. The Foundation was able to offer assistance to more than 115 children in 2006. Some of the items and opportunities the Foundation has been able to help foster children obtain include:

The organization has an all-volunteer board with no paid staff members, so all funds received go directly towards the foster children grants. All grant applications are reviewed by a Grant Committee, which is made up of Friends Foundation Board members.

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