Message from CEO Doug Johnson:

May is National Foster Care Month, a time to raise awareness about the needs of the 513,000 American children in foster care and to salute the families and individuals who make a difference in their lives.

LSI works with many foster families as a proud partner in Iowa KidsNet, the statewide collaboration of agencies responsible for the recruitment and retention of Iowa’s foster and adoptive parents.

513,000 children and teens. They want the same things all kids want – a forever family, a best friend, a chance to be a doctor or a teacher or a painter. They want a safe place to call home. They want to build a bright future, but they need the support of their neighbors, their communities and people like you.

Thank you to all families, social workers, mentors, advocates and friends who help change the lives of children in foster care.

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Mission:
Lutheran Services in Iowa responds to the love of Jesus Christ through acts of service to all.

Vision:
Called by God's spirit and in response to Christ's love, this social ministry organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will serve as Jesus served. As a part of the Church's mission, we trust God will work through us to bring health, hope and healing to the world and to advocate for the dignity of our neighbors in community.

Values:
Respect – Every person is a unique gift of God and will be served with dignity and humility.

Stewardship – We are responsible to God, the Church and society for the effective and efficient use of all our resources.

Advocacy – We are responsible for giving voice to those who are not heard, for seeking social justice and for empowering people.

Excellence – Integrity, compassion, teamwork, continuous learning and innovation enhance the quality of service.

Who do we serve?
LSI serves people of all ages, genders, nationalities, religions, ethnicities and sexual orientations and is affiliated with Lutheran Services in America and the three Iowa synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

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Service Principles:

• We believe the family has the right to tell their story in their own words, in their own time. This listening creates relationships.
• We respect the differences in background, race, culture and ethnicity of those we serve.
• We focus on the whole family and seek to meet their needs.
• We start our work where the client is at with language they can understand.
• We communicate honestly with the family.
• We identify and build on the family’s strengths and past successes.
• We are willing to do whatever it takes to best serve the family.
• We believe families have the ability to find their own solutions. Our job is to create the environment for this to happen. It is the family who decides the course they will take.
• We are in tune with our own biases and take responsibility to ensure these do not impact our work quality.
• We do not judge the family; we empathize with where they have been. We cannot assume to understand the path the family has taken.
• We recognize and encourage all progress – big and small steps.
• We think systemically, seeking to create formal and informal community supports to assist the family.

The term “family” is inclusive of all individuals whom the family defines as a unit.

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Commitments:

• We approach our work in humility with the hope of receiving God’s helping grace.
• We will strive to bring comfort, wholeness and reconciliation to our communities.
• We will show understanding, sympathy and compassion for those despised and avoided by others. We will be a friend to those without friends.
• We will, in solidarity with our neighbors, selflessly provide assistance, offer encouragement and invest our gifts for our neighbors’ material and spiritual needs.
• We will remain vigilant, ever ready to provide sacrificial love and hope to our neighbors.
• We will live in the spirit of the Gospel, remain in the peace of Christ, integrate ourselves with the life of the Church and identify with the noble aspirations of humankind.
• We will patiently and courageously seek to implement good and will have the strength to forgive those who do harm.