REFUGEE Manzi Icyaliho is apartment-hunting this week...read more
HOME HEALTH CARE The Rose of Ames is decorated for the Christmas season with trees wrapped in strings of lights and ornaments...read more
EARLY CHILDHOOD On a snowy afternoon Alice stares in wonder at the nativity set her mother is unpacking on the coffee table...read more
SERVICES TO FAMILIES Annette and Darryl Koudelka were moving their oldest son to independent living three years ago when they got the phone call...read more
SERVICES FOR PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES Ten-year-old Logan Millius is an easygoing fourth grader with a passion for bowling...read more
RESIDENTIAL Sitting in her old junior high gym in Marshalltown, in an intersection between her past and her future, Amanda shares the story of how she turned her life around...read more
Services to Families
Annette and Darryl Koudelka were moving their oldest son to independent living three years ago when they got the phone call. Could they take in an 11-year-old boy who needed a foster home?
It was a familiar question. The Koudelkas have been fostering Iowa children for 15 years, something Annette says has become a ministry for them.
"For us and a lot of other foster parents, this is driven out of faith."
That boy, Caleb, is now 13. This fall Annette and Darryl adopted him and his younger brother Noah, 7, who had previously been in another foster home.
The boys joined a family of eight children, six of whom were adopted from foster care in sibling sets of two.
"Everyone should have someone and have a place they can call home," said Annette.
Despite an unstable past, the bonds between the sibling sets have survived.
"Noah didn't understand at first when we talked about adopting him," Annette said. "But what he knows is his brother. And he just always thought he was supposed to be with Caleb."
LSI remedial services caseworker Diane Hinderaker is helping the boys thrive in their new home. Remedial services help children build skills in areas such as anger management, decision-making or conflict resolution.
Diane first met Caleb when working with him and his birth family. There they worked on communication skills, discipline, parenting and managing frustration and anger.
When Caleb and Noah were adopted by the Koudelkas, Diane's continued visits once a week helped smooth the transition.
"It helped with a lot of the fears about where they were going," Annette said. "The kids look forward to Diane coming to hear what's going on and challenge them. It's been very consistent and helpful to move through this whole process with Diane."
Along with Caleb and Noah, the Koudelka clan currently living at home includes Alexis, 10; Michaela, 11; and Brian, 17.
The four youngest keep their parents busy. Caleb is involved in middle school sports. Michaela likes riding horses, while Alexis loves to play soccer. Both Alexis and Noah are learning to play piano.
Together with the Koudelkas, they have all found a place to call home.
