ANKENY, Iowa (Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday that Iowa will change how the state manages Social Security survivor benefits for foster children with deceased relatives, allowing the child to retain this money for the future.
The governor and Larry Johnson, principal deputy director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, announced the change during a news conference at Foster SQUAD, a foster care support organization in Ankeny. Reynolds said the change to survivor benefits comes as Iowa seeks to work on the national initiative led by First Lady Melania Trump to provide more support to foster families and help children in the system live independently and successfully as adults.
“I have directed Iowa Health and Human Services to preserve survivor benefits using the most appropriate account type for each eligible child, so that he or she may use the money in the future to support their life’s goals, whether that means pursuing an education, purchasing a home, or achieving financial stability. So this change aligns well with other financial support that already exists for young Iowans who transition out of the foster care system,” Reynolds said…