Clark County needs more foster parents to provide safe, loving homes for kids in need

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Clark County is currently seeing a big need for foster parents for sibling groups.

It takes between six to eight weeks to go through training to become a licensed foster parent in Clark County. Earlier this year, the county launched an expedited course to speed up the process for interested foster parents and after seeing a 100% success rate, the county is adding more of those courses.

Over 90 children currently live at Child Haven, waiting for someone to open their arms and bring them into their home, and that includes groups of siblings.

“There is such a need for Child Haven, it is sad,” said foster parent Laurie Belair.

Belair is a foster parent to a 12-year-old who is deaf.

“She has helped us grow,” said Belair. “She has helped us learn how to do things. She has helped us be better communicators.”

She and her husband also just adopted a sibling group of five that she originally was fostering. They range between the ages of 7-13.

“I wouldn’t change a thing,” said Belair. “I wouldn’t change a thing about it. That has been just the right family for us to adopt.”

“We really need families for teens, sibling groups, I mean you could only imagine the trauma if we are pulling them out of their home and then we have to split them up because we don’t have homes willing to take the whole sibling group,” said Deputy Director of Family Services Patrick Barkley.

Barkley said the county is working to address that need by adding more expedited training courses for those who are fully ready to become foster parents and would like to start right away.

“It is two weekends,” said Barkley. “Two full weekends and then you are licensed.”

“They train you on all the different ways to train children,” said Belair. “They train you on how to become a foster parent and how to talk to kids who have had trauma.”

Barkley said if you are over 21 and have an open heart and an open home, you can register for the expedited course.

“A lot of people think because they had something minor in their life, that is going to disqualify them,” said Barkley. “We ask people to open up to us about anything they think will be a disqualifier and we also assess those things.”

Prior to the training, potential foster parents attend an information session. A background check and fingerprinting are also conducted.

“We also do a home study just to make sure the home is ready and have everything they are going to need to take care of the children coming into their home,” said Barkley.

Barkley said being a foster parent in Clark County can change a child’s life.

“You are stepping up to the plate to make a difference in the community,” said Barkley.

“Be a hug if they need it and be a ‘no you can’t’ if they need it and an ‘eat your broccoli,’” said Belair.

The next expedited training to become a foster parent in Clark County takes place on November 5.

To sign up click HERE.

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