Foster families: first-aid and CPR standards

First Aid & CPR Iowa

Becoming a foster family in Iowa means providing a safe, caring home to a child who cannot live with their own family. Among the requirements to complete during licensing: holding current CPR and first-aid certification. It sits alongside the home study, training and background checks rather than replacing them.

The first-aid requirement

Under Iowa Administrative Code (Iowa HHS foster family home licensing standards), all licensed foster parents must be certified in CPR and first aid through a nationally recognized training organization, or by an equivalent trainer, before licensure and every three years thereafter. The training must cover infant, child and adult CPR and first aid using a nationally recognized curriculum.

Foster parents must keep a certificate showing the date of training and its expiration, and complete the certification within the first year training cycle if newly licensed. The requirement is administered by Iowa Health and Human Services (HHS) and is one part of the assessment — in addition to the home study, medication and reporting training — not a standalone qualification to foster.

How to meet it

A recognized, up-to-date first-aid and CPR certificate meets this requirement. It is in addition to the required training or assessment, and is renewed periodically.

See the recognized first-aid courses in your region

Training aligned with the latest emergency-care standards

Our CPR, AED and first-aid training is developed in line with the most recent international guidelines for emergency cardiovascular care and first aid.

We rigorously follow the recommendations of ILCOR (International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation), the international body responsible for the scientific evaluation and development of global resuscitation standards. These recommendations serve as a reference for health organizations, institutions and professional orders worldwide — and are updated as scientific and clinical evidence evolves.

Keep your skills current with confidence

Every intervention can make a difference. Keeping CPR and emergency-care skills current is both a professional requirement and a responsibility toward patients, colleagues and the public.

See the recognized first-aid courses in your region

References

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