Resources for Families and Youth

Last updated: 4/1/26

Family and Youth Resources

Better Tomorrows Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) (Vinton): (319) 241-1817 

• Mail: PO Box 516, Vinton, IA 52349 

• Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

• Details: Better Tomorrows ECI Area’s vision is that all children (age 0–5) living in Benton and Tama counties will be healthy, have a safe, secure, nurturing home and childcare environment, and be ready to succeed in school.  The Better Tomorrows ECI Area Board supports five result areas: Healthy Children, Secure and Nurturing Families, Secure and Nurturing Early Learning Environments, Children Ready to Succeed in School, and Safe and Supportive Communities. Some programs include Healthy Families, where a Family Support Worker will partner with families with young children to set and achieve goals and learn about child development. Benton County Family Nest is an incentive-based parent education group program for pregnant women, post-partum mothers, and their children up to 2 years of age. Participants earn incentive points for healthy behaviors such as keeping medical appointments, participating in WIC, home visitation and other parent education classes—the points are then redeemed for incentive items such as diapers, wipes, clothing, car seats and pack and plays. Childcare Alliance Response Team (CART) provides behavioral supports and services to Early Learning Environments in Benton and Tama counties with children that are exhibiting challenging behaviors. 

• Additional Information: 

• CART contact: Grant Wood AEA, (319) 399-6574 

• [email protected] 

• Dolly Parton Imagination Library Application—gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five 

Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank: (Cedar Rapids): (319) 364-8909 

• Address: 420 Sixth Street SE #180 Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 

• Office Hours: Monday 1 PM – 5:30 PM; Thursday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

• Details: Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank is a collaboration between YPN (Young Parents Network) and EIHC (Eastern Iowa Health Center) and our community partners. Seeing the hardship that diaper costs has created for some of the community’s most vulnerable families the Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank distributed more than 600k diapers to participants and community members in 2020. The Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank serves YPN, EIHC, and HACAP families. For participants of YPN, Eastern Iowa Health Center, HACAP/WIC with coupons, you can access the Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank on Mondays 1-5:30 pm and Thursdays 9 am-12 pm. Additionally, any community member with child(ren) in diapers (ages 0-4) who visits their location on the last Wednesday of the month from 3:30-5:30 pm will be provided 50 free diapers. 

• Additional Information: [email protected] 

Families, Inc. - Main Office (West Branch): (319) 643-2532 

• Address: 233 S 2nd St West Branch, IA 

• [[removed image]]Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM 

• Details: Families Inc., a pioneer in home-based family-centered services, is a non-profit counseling agency, governed by a board of directors, serving children and families in 20+ Iowa counties. Some programs include in-home, in-office, or telehealth counseling programs at no cost to individuals, couples, and families for up to 6 months regardless of age or insurance. Behavioral Health Intervention Services offer in-home skill development for families with children ages 4-20 on Medicaid, assessed to have a mental health diagnosis warranting the need for the development of skills to manage behavioral symptoms. Outpatient therapy services are offered to individuals and families by licensed Social Workers and licensed Mental Health Counselors. 

• Additional Information: [email protected] 

Foundation 2 Crisis Services (Cedar Rapids): (319) 362-1170 

• Address: 305 2nd Ave SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 

• Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM 

• Details: Since we began in Cedar Rapids in 1970, we have focused on crisis prevention and intervention for people of all ages. We are committed to positive youth development, suicide prevention and helping build the foundation for stronger and healthier families and safer communities for everyone. Free, 24/7 crisis support is available for anyone experiencing a mental health or suicide-related situation or concern. A variety of residential and community programs that support youth and young adults in crisis are available, including the Youth Shelter, which is open to all youth ages 11-17. Contact the Foundation 2 Crisis Services’ Youth Shelter at 319-366-8797. Services include meals, limited transportation, medical care, structured supervision from professional staff 24/7, individual and group counseling, and in-shelter school services taught by certified teachers for those not enrolled in school in the Cedar Rapids area. Foundation 2 Crisis Services teams also partner with agencies, schools, law enforcement and other. groups to prevent and respond to crises in the community, along with offering community and workplace trainings and education opportunities to further mental health care and suicide prevention efforts. 

• Foundation 2 Youth Shelter: 3015 12th Ave SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 

• Foundation 2 Crisis Services – Crisis Phone Line (24/7/365): (319) 362-2174 

• Call and talk to a trained, compassionate crisis counselor any time, 24/7. Don’t feel like talking? Access free, confidential support by text at 988. 

Four Oaks Family & Children’s Services: (Cedar Rapids): (319) 364-0259 

• Address: 5400 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 

• Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

• Details: At Four Oaks, we offer a variety of services to help children and families be successful. The TotalChild approach—where we serve children and families in an all-encompassing way—permeates everything. This includes Family Services, involving practical information about child developmental milestones and parenting techniques to financial literacy, housing, and support in navigating the child’s mental health and welfare systems. Four Oaks also provides behavioral health therapy and skill-building programs at its locations, in local schools, and in families’ homes. There are also educational programs, child welfare and emergency services, and Juvenile Justice, where Four Oaks offers several programs that help juvenile offenders stay in the community while learning skills to be successful. The Four Oaks Smith Center campus has a Qualified Residential Treatment Program and is a Psychiatric Medical Institute for Children (PMIC) and Integrated Health Homes (IHH) 

• Additional Information: 

• [email protected] 

• Affordable Housing Network 

Harambee House: (Cedar Rapids): (319) 366-1408 

• Address: 404 17th St SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 

• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM by appointment; Walk-in services on Wednesday: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM 

• Details: The Harambee House, one location of Four Oaks, which loosely translated means “Let’s Work Together” in Swahili, is located in the Wellington Heights neighborhood in Cedar Rapids. The building is a renovated fire house and now serves families through a variety of programming, including parenting skills development, mental health assistance and work skills development, computer access, and free bread distribution. Walk-in services include: Community resource flyers and information, referrals to programming, clothing vouchers as available, free food shelves as available, and computer access. 

Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) (North Benton Office): (319) 472-4761 

• Address: 202 E 4th St, Vinton IA 52349 

• Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM – 4:40 PM 

• Details: HACAP is a community action agency serving 9 counties in Eastern Iowa. We embrace the philosophy of “a help up, not a handout” in our commitment to empower and improve the lives of families, living with the everyday barriers of poverty. Some services include LIHEAP (assists low-income families meet the cost of home heating by providing a one-time payment to the heating utility), Head Start (early childhood education for low-income children ages 3-5 and their families free of cost), Senior Dining (located in Belle Plaine and Vinton, offering hot meals to those in need and who can’t make it out of their homes), and I-SMILE (connects children and pregnant women with dental, medical, and community resources for a lifetime of health and wellness. Visit Our Services | Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) to see the full list of services. 

Iowa Child Support Services (Cedar Rapids): (319) 398-3619 

• Address: 411 3rd Street SE Suite 200 Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 

• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM 

• Details: The mission of Iowa’s child support program is to provide services to ensure families receive the child support they need in order to be able to meet the financial and health needs of their children. The Iowa Child Support website is provided as a resource and by registering, you can get information on your cases including payments made, make payments, view your case balance, change your personal information, update employer information, and sign up to receive alerts. A parent or the person caring for a child(ren) can also apply for Child Support Services to establish paternity, establish child and medical support, or collect child and medical support, which takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. The Cedar Rapids Child Support Services serves Iowa, Johnson, and Linn areas. Assistance Programs include child-care and daycare assistance, food stamps and SNAP, rent assistance, and WIC. 

• Additional Information: 

• Child Support Services Paper Application 

• Child Support Services Online Application 

Iowa Child Support Services (Waterloo): (319) 291-2646 

• Address: 3254 Kimball Ave Waterloo, IA 50702 

• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM 

• Details: Waterloo Child Support Services serves the Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, and Delaware areas. The mission of Iowa’s child support program is to provide services to ensure families receive the child support they need in order to be able to meet the financial and health needs of their children. The Iowa Child Support website is provided as a resource and by registering, you can get information on your cases including payments made, make payments, view your case balance, change your personal information, update employer information, and sign up to receive alerts. A parent or the person caring for a child(ren) can also apply for Child Support Services to establish paternity, establish child and medical support, or collect child and medical support, which takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. Assistance Programs include child-care and daycare assistance, food stamps and SNAP, rent assistance, and WIC. 

Iowa Family Support Network (Des Moines): (888) 425-4371 

• Address: 3000 Easton Blvd Des Moines, IA 50317 

• Hours: Specialists available by email or phone Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM 

• Details: Iowa Family Support Network (IFSN) is a statewide system that provides information and resources to expecting families or families with young children and professionals that serve them. You will find information that includes; family support services; group-based parent education programs; and prenatal services. Specialists are available by email or phone Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1-888-IAKIDS1 (1-888-425-4371). Some resources include Early ACCESS, Iowa’s early intervention system (IDEA Part C) for infants and toddlers under three years old who are not developing as expected, along with the Children at Home program, designed to assist families raising a child with a disability in obtaining needed services and supports that enable their child to remain in their family home. Additionally, Nine2Thrive is a program to support the healthy development of your baby during pregnancy by identifying risks and providing a support system. 

• Additional Information: [email protected]  

Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association: (515) 229-8747 

• Address: 6900 NE 14th Street, Suite 25 Ankeny IA 50023 

• Email: [email protected] 

• [[removed image]]Details: Membership with Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association (IFAPA) is free for Iowa’s foster, adoptive and kinship families. IFAPA offers a variety of no cost trainings for foster, adoptive and kinship families on parenting, working with the system and birth parents, and other relevant issues in foster care and adoption. The Friends of Children in Foster Care program provides foster children with the funds they need for those special “extras” in life which they would otherwise not receive. Some items this program has been able to help foster children obtain include music instruments, summer camps, school trips and senior pictures. Adoption Respite is a service available to adoptive families for children who are adopted with a future needs agreement, an adoption subsidy, or have a subsidized guardianship through the State of Iowa to receive up to 10 days of respite service per fiscal year at $20 per day. Also, the Adoption Stability Grant is a grant of up to $100 a year available to children who have been adopted with a future needs agreement, subsidized adoption agreement, or have a subsidized guardianship in the State of Iowa. 

• Additional Information: 

• Adoption Respite Form – FY 2026 

• Adoption Stability Grant 

Lutheran Services in Iowa (Waterloo): (319) 233-3579 

• Address: 3640 University Ave Waterloo IA 50701 

• Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

• Details: At LSI, our goal is to build happy, healthy families. We empower children and parents through education, mental and behavioral healthcare, in-home support and training, and innovative collaborations with community partners. LSI has Early Childhood Services, Behavioral Health Intervention Services, and Community Programs. LSI also provides Immigrant and Refugee Community Services, services for people with disabilities (Services for People with Disabilities), and has expert therapists that empower Iowans along the way to a healthier and happier future. 

• Behavioral Health Intake Form 

Salvation Army – Cedar Rapids Corps Community Center (Cedar Rapids): (319) 364-9131 

• Address: 1000 C Avenue NW, Cedar Rapids IA 52405 

• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM (closed for lunch from 12:30 – 1:00 PM) 

• Details: Services include adult program services, senior services, Pathway to Hope (a Salvation Army initiative which provides individualized services to families with children who desire to take action to break the cycle of crisis and vulnerability that repeats generation after generation), food pantry, youth services, worship and spiritual programs, assistance programs, holiday giving, and disaster relief. 

Tanager (Cedar Rapids): (319) 365-9164 

• Address (Camp Tanager): 1614 West Mt Vernon Rd, Mt Vernon, IA 52314  

• Address (Estle Center): 1030 5th Ave SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 

• Mental Wellbeing Clinic hours: Monday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Tuesday 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Wednesday 7:15 AM – 6:00 PM, Thursday 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Friday 7:15 AM – 4:30 PM 

• Details: As Linn County’s first children’s human service agency, Tanager offers programs that focus on three areas: prevention, treatment, and outreach. For prevention, Tanger offers programs to address disruptive actions, behaviors, and emotions; teach important life skills; prepare children and teens to make positive choices now and in the future; give parents the information to understand how mental health affects their child’s development and well-being. Established in 1926, Camp Tanager provides a full array of camp experiences for children ages 6-11 years including a free camp scholarship program for children who may otherwise be unable to afford the cost of attending summer camp. For treatment, Tanager offers inpatient, outpatient, school-based, expressive arts, Behavioral Health Intervention Services, and Pediatric Integrated Health (care coordination and case management services to children facing behavioral and emotional challenges). 

• Additional Information: 

• [email protected]  

• [email protected] 

WIC (Women, Infants, and Children): (319) 366-7632 (press 2) 

• Address (Belle Plaine WIC Office): 766 North Maple St, Monticello, IA 52310 

• Hours: 1st Tuesday 9:00 AM -- 3:15 PM (Closed 12:00 -- 12:45) 

• Phone: (319) 550-6311 

• Address (Vinton WIC Office): Wesley United Methodist Church, 516 Second Avenue Vinton, IA 52349 

• Hours: 2nd Wednesday, 9:00 AM -- 4:45 PM (closed 12:00 -- 12:45), 4th Tuesday 9:00 AM -- 3:15 PM (Closed 12:00 -- 12:45) 

• Phone: (319) 366-7632 

• Details: WIC provides nutrition support, breastfeeding help, and healthy food benefits for growing families. 

Young Parents Network (Cedar Rapids): (319) 364-8909 

• Address: 420 6th Street SE #260 Cedar Rapids IA 52401 

• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM -- 4:00 PM 

• Details: Our mission is to create a network of support through education and resources, to build confidence and personal accountability for healthy and successful families. YPN has a program to ease the transition to parenthood and addresses the many challenges of new families—pregnant and parenting families with children under 5 years of age can take part. YPN also has a Moms Group for those looking for peers and support as you navigate motherhood and a Dads program to have an active role and be the best father for your child. YPN also partners with other organizations and school systems to administer programming and share resources to further serve families community-wide in Eastern Iowa. Services are also provided in Spanish