Programs & Services
Share My Smile provides programming and services for foster and adoptive families to provide them with the resources they need to fill their homes with love.
Family Strengthening
Activities
Our family strengthening activities are exclusive to the foster and adoptive families we serve. We provide activities throughout the year to allow our families to engage in free or low-cost, entertaining activities in an environment where parents and children in our program can engage with one another.
Share My Smile annually hosts a spring outing, a summer beach party, and our program-specific events, the Pumpkin Patch Outing, and the Holiday Dinner Celebration.​ Share my Smile also has partnerships with local event organizations including Werner Park, The Rose Theater, The Henry Doorly Zoo to provide free entry for our families at select times throughout the year.
Let's Make A Change
Here are some ways you can donate:
Operation Holiday
Smiles
Operation Holiday Smiles (OHS) is our holiday season program where we provide annual holiday support to our families. We provide a fall outing, typically a Pumpkin Patch Outing, we host a Traditional Holiday Dinner Celebration, held in November, at which a complete traditional Thanksgiving meal is provided to all families in attendance. In addition, the children have the opportunity to take photos with Santa, do a craft, and receive a free stuffed animal and book. During this event, entertainment is provided, in honor of National Adoption Month.
​
The children also give us their wish lists, which are then placed on a Giving Tree at host locations in Council Bluffs and surrounding regions, from which sponsors purchase the gifts that the children have requested. These gifts are collected, wrapped, and given to foster/adoptive parents before Christmas. These gifts go to children to help with the celebration of Christmas, and they also help alleviate some financial costs for the foster/adoptive parents.
Project
Birthday Joy
All children in the home of foster and adoptive families receive birthday services through Project Birthday Joy when the family is registered with Share My Smile. All children in the home receive a birthday card with a $20 gift card the month of their birthday. Foster, kindship/guardianship children additionally receive a pop-up party pack to celebrate their birthday. Our goal is for all children to feel special on their birthday. The party packs also provide some financial alleviation to the foster family. Due to the nature of foster care, foster parents are asked monthly to provide updates on the foster children in their homes to ensure services are received.
​
Become a Birthday Sponsor
PBJ is funded through local fundraisers, private donations, and grants.
Care For
You Action
Care for You Action (CFYA) provides backpacks full of necessities when entering a new home. Items include but are not limited to hygienic supplies, writing or coloring materials, school supplies, a stuffed animal and a blanket. This program is meant to provide the child with items to call their own that provide supplies for cleanliness and also personal comfort, while at the same time alleviating some initial costs for the parents.
Families may also request a Care bag at the time they register with Share My Smile, and any time a new child enters their home.
We also provide baby bags!