What you said about DHS and helpful resources

I have been swamped with phone calls, letters and e-mails ever since The Gazette began running my series about Iowa Department of Human Services child removal practices. Dozens of families have reached out to share their stories with me.

I haven't experienced anything even approaching this volume or passion of readers' responses in more than a decade as a reporter -- nearly a week after the series ended, I'm still getting several calls and messages each day.

I'll be writing about other things in coming weeks, but you can be sure I'll  be keeping my eye on this issue. In the meantime, I want to share a few resources with you, since so many of you have asked me where you can turn and what you can do.

As always, if you have an active case you should consult your attorney before taking any public action. If you know of other groups or resources, shoot me an e-mail or reply in the comment section below.

• If you feel you haven't been treated fairly by DHS or any government agency, you can file a complaint with the Iowa Ombudsman. The Ombudsman investigates citizens' grievances about government agencies, officials or employees. They work to resolve conflicts, make recommendations for improving government practices and publish reports about Iowans' experiences and complaints. Complaints are held in confidence whenever possible. You can find out more here or by calling 888-426-6283.
• If you want to share your story with others, you can do that (using your real name) on my DHS open thread.

If you aren't involved with a case, but want to help, there are a number of groups working to support DHS-involved families and children in foster care:

• The Partnership for Safe Families offers family supports and helps connect DHS-involved families with people who have been there in the Linn County area.
• The Junior League of Cedar Rapids is several months into a new project to learn more about foster care and support children living in foster care in Cedar Rapids.
• The Partnership of Iowa Foster Care Youth Councils AMP  (Achieving Maximum Potential) program helps foter care and adopted youth with leadership development, serice learning, projects, life skills, educational opportunities and self-advocacy. You can find local chapters and information about how you can help here.
• Families Helping Families works to provide resources for foster children in Iowa, to advocate on behalf of Iowa's foster children and to raise awareness of issues concerning Iowa's child protective system.