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STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
April 07, 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretaiy,
I hereby transmit:
Senate File 2096, an Act relating to foster parent training requirements for the licensure
of individual child foster care providers.
The above Senate File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincfrely,
Kim Reynolds
Governor of Iowa
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
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Senate File 2096
AN ACT
RELATING TO FOSTER PARENT TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
LICENSURE OF INDIVIDUAL CHILD FOSTER CARE PROVIDERS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 237.5A, Code 2026, is amended to read as
follows:
237.5A Foster parent training.
1. As a condition for initial licensure, each proposed
individual licensee shall complete thirty hours of foster
parent training offered or approved by the department.
However»—t# When determining the appropriate foster parent
training for a proposed individual licensee, the department
shall consider the proposed individual licensee has complotod
relevant training or has a combination of completed licensee's
relevant training and experience, and the department deems such
training or combination to bo an acceptable equivalent to all
or a portion of the initial licensure training requirement, or
Senate File 2096, p, 2
baaed upon the. In addition, the department shall consider the
circumstances of the child who will receive child foster care
from the proposed individual licensee and the circumstances of
the proposed individual licensee the department finds there ia
other good cause,—the department may waive all or a portion of
the training requirement,
b. Prior to renewal of licensure, each individual licensee
shall annually complete aix houro of foster parent training
as determined appropriate for the individual licensee by the
department. The training
2. Training required under this section shall include but -te-
not limited to physical care, education,—learning diaabilitioa#
referral to and receipt of nccoaaary profeoaional aervicGo^
behavioral asoeaament and modification, aelf aaaeooment,
aelf living skills/ and biological parent contact.—ftn
individual licenace not be limited to all of the following;
a. An overview of child welfare.
b. Biological parent contact and supporting a child^s family
of origin.
c. Behavior management,
d. Trauma and the effect on child development.
e> Attachment, grief, and loss,
3. A person may complete -bite training required under this
section as part of an approved training program offered by a
public or private agency with expertise in the provision of
child foster care or in related subject areas. The department
shall adopt rules to implement and enforce this training
requirement.
•St An individual licensee who is unable to complete
hours of foster parent training annually prior to lioenaure
renewal required under subsection 1, paragraph '^b", because the
individual licensee is engaged in active duty in the military
service shall be considered to be in compliance with the
training requirement for licensure renewal.
•3t ^ The department or the department's agent shall
notify an individual licensee within a reasonable amount of
time of any training the department believes would benefit the
individual licensee in the provision of child foster care.
Senate Pile 2096, p. 3
6, The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A
to implement and enforce this section.
AMY SINCLAIR
President of the Senate
PAT GRASSLEY
Speaker of House
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and
is known as Senate Pile 2096, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved
V"I72026
smithsOnW. CHARLES