DES MOINES, Iowa — Isaiah 117 House held a community-wide kickoff event at Indian Hills Junior High, raising awareness for foster children in need on Sunday.

Isaiah 117 House is a non-profit focused on caring for children awaiting placement in the foster care system. The organization is moving into Polk County, where there are over 1,100 children in foster care.

Megan Johnson, the Polk County Expansion Coordinator at Isaiah 117 House, said that the organization is committed to making a difference in Iowa.

“Isaiah 117 House works to serve three missions. First, we want to change how foster care begins. Reduce the trauma and try to make it a more comfortable, safe experience. We want to support the HHS Department and support the social workers, and not very many people are saying thank you to social workers these days, and then we want to ease the transition for foster homes,” Johnson said.

Johnson said that for the next six months, Isaiah 117 House will focus on raising awareness with the ultimate goal of building a house to serve as a transitional home for children awaiting foster care.

“That’s our end goal, would be to have a house. It’s not a group home. It’s not a shelter. It’s a transitional house where kids can come and stay for usually two to three days while they work to locate a foster home, or a relative, or friend, or the family, or a teacher, where they can go and live long term,” Johnson said.

Isaiah 117 House will hold meetings on the fourth Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Urbandale Public Library. The first meeting is scheduled for June 23rd.