Clark County just tried a new way to find foster homes. Instead of sending families through weeks of separate appointments, the county put the whole licensing start line in one gym on one day.
The Department of Family Services hosted its Foster Care Roadmap open house on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Child Haven Gymnasium, 701 N. Pecos Road, Las Vegas, NV 89101.
About 58 households registered for the event, according to Holly Kelsven, assistant manager for recruitment and training at the Department of Family Services. Staff walked families station to station so they could check off real licensing steps in a single visit.
The Numbers Behind the Open House
Kelsven said roughly 3,600 babies, children and teenagers are in foster care in Clark County on any given day. That is the whole story in one number.
At Child Haven, the county emergency shelter, an average of 50 to 60 children are living there at any time while they wait for a supportive foster home. Many children arrive in sibling groups, and many have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
County officials said at an October forum that Clark County needs at least 200 additional regular licensed foster homes to meet placement needs. The county hopes this open house helps fill the next eight-week training cohort.
Additional open houses are planned if this pilot effort proves successful. That makes Sunday a test, not a one-off.
What Families Could Finish in One Visit
The Roadmap was built to remove the errands that stall good intentions. Each station handled a different requirement, with Family Services staff on hand to answer questions.
- Application: complete the foster care application, add references and upload required documents.
- Health checks: get a required physical and a tuberculosis test at no cost.
- Training: select a date for pre-service training and set up online training.
- Car seat safety: finish the first part of the training and schedule the hands-on portion.
- Home safety: learn about safe sleep, home safety requirements and what to expect during the home inspection.
Families could also meet the Family Services teams they would work with after licensing. Experienced foster parents and CASA volunteers were there to talk about child care, education and community resources.
The first 50 families to complete their Roadmap will receive a voucher for free home safety items. Families can redeem it for a Home Safety Kit during their home inspection and licensing visit.
How to Start If You Missed Sunday
You do not need to wait for the next open house. The county licensing path is open now, and the first move is small.
- Sign up for an information session at clarkcountyfostercare.com. That session is step one for every applicant.
- Get fingerprinting and a background check started early. The county lists an approved background check and fingerprinting among its minimum requirements.
- Gather your documents and complete the application, including five satisfactory references.
- Complete 24 hours of foster parent training, plus a passed TB test and pediatric and adult CPR, first aid and AED training.
- Prepare your home for the safety inspection, and show transportation, car insurance, housing and proof of homeowners or renters insurance.
The insight here is timing. Paperwork done in one afternoon can put a family into the next training cohort instead of the one after it, and that is how a child waiting at Child Haven gets a home sooner.
