2026 March Church Update
LSI proudly serves Iowans in all 99 counties through our services of Mental Health, Early Childhood, Foster Care & Adoption, Global Greens, People with Disabilities, and Immigrant & Refugee Community Services. We serve individuals of all ages, from families with newborns navigating the early stages of parenthood, to Refugee and Immigrant elders, as well as children at every stage of development. Our heart beats for the people we serve. We empower families and communities by recognizing and honoring the strengths and gifts of every individual.
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From Foster Care to the Classroom: A Story of Resilience and Hope
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, Brain Injury Awareness Month and Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month making it the perfect time to highlight LSI’s services for individuals with disabilities.
LSI provide respite care for those caring for loved ones with mental and developmental disabilities along with 24 hour care, hourly options and host homes. In total LSI provided over 366,000 hours of services to those living with disabilities last year.
For families caring for a child or adult with disabilities, the demands of around-the-clock care can be overwhelming. That’s where respite support makes a meaningful difference. Respite care offers caregivers a personalized break while ensuring their loved one continues to receive quality care. A trained respite provider can step in for a few hours or up to an entire weekend to support children and adults with disabilities. Services can be provided in the individual’s home, the provider’s home, or within the community.
As one parent put it, “Respite helped me step back and rethink things, breath and start over again with a better mind set! I truly believe that respite has changed my family and my life.”
LSI’s thorough matching process and ongoing oversight help ensure the success and quality of respite services. One of our respite providers, met her client and his family when they moved into a new neighborhood. This provider and client had an instant connection during this visit, and the provider knew that she wanted to provide respite services to him. The family worked with LSI, after being introduced to our respite program by the provider, to enroll the client in services. They started out with small amounts of time, and as the years went by, the amount of respite increased.
This provider has now been providing respite services to this client for over 10 years. Their relationship has continued to grow, and is stronger than ever, as the provider has supported both the client and his family.
This client has become a part of his provider’s expended family, and sees her at least once a week. The client enjoys spending weekends once a month at his provider’s home. This also allows the client’s parents to have a scheduled break each month. One of this client’s favorite activities during his weekends at his provider’s home is to visit his provider’s parents, and discuss the latest book that he has read with them.
“I became a respite provider because it offered me an opportunity to earn some extra income around my family's busy schedule. What I was not expecting was the learning opportunities that occurred for both my children and the respite children on our home. It has been an amazing experience to see the children grow. I love when I run into them out in the community and they come over and tell me everything they are now doing. Through respite care you are able to make a difference!”
-Respite Provider
If you are interested in learning more about respite services or becoming a respite provider, contact Kay Baker at 319-883-9583.
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Lutheran Services in Iowa
P.O. Box 848
106 16th St. SW
Waverly, IA 50677
For more information, please contact Andrea Maschka, LSI’s Chief Development Officer, at Andrea.Maschka@LSIowa.org.
LSI is an affiliated social ministry partner of the Iowa congregations of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and a member of LSA (Lutheran Services in America). We proudly serve people of all ages, abilities, religions, sexes, gender identities, national origins, ethnicities, races, and sexual orientations. Learn more at LSIowa.org and facebook.com/LSI.iowa.