NO ROD SPARED

Iowa to Foster Parents: Go Ahead and Spank Your Own Kids

Just don’t do it in front of your foster children.

Earlier this summer, officials in Iowa told prospective foster parents they had to agree to certain rules—which included not spanking the foster child or any of their own children. Some parents objected, saying that the state had no right to interfere with how they punish their kids. Now, the Iowa Department of Human Services has relented, issuing new guidance that bans parents from using corporal punishment on the foster kids but allows them to hit their own kids, as long as a foster child doesn’t witness it. “We apologize for any confusion we have caused,” the agency wrote to parents, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen.