Saying goodbye: 'This is not the Iowa I grew up in'

Last edited Mon May 1, 2017, 01:29 PM - Edit history (2)

Des Moines Register Letter to the Editor

As I start to pack up my house and leave Iowa, I have mixed emotions. Two years ago, moving was not an option.

However, after budget cuts to the Des Moines Public Schools, my soon-to-be husband's job was cut to part-time. As a master’s level teacher with 16 years of service, no other options were available.

As a mother who adopted a special needs child from the Iowa Department of Human Services almost three years ago, I cannot continue to see the same system that failed him continue to fail him. With Gov. Terry Branstad cutting the DHS budget yet again, my son will continue to be on a waiting list for services.

...

This is not the Iowa I grew up in or the Iowa I want for my children. We chose to move where family can support our son and offer us support. It will take a village to raise my son, and the Republican Party of Iowa is not the village we are looking for.

— Jessica Skoglund, Des Moines

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/04/30/not-iowa-grew-up-in/306821001/