Clark County is urgently seeking foster parents for babies and young children. Today, Child Haven has more than 100 children at the emergency shelter. Of these, 44 are ages infant to six years old, and nearly half of that group—19 children—are under two years old.

“We have a need for foster parents who can care for babies and young children in need of a safe, loving home,” said Clark County Family Services Deputy Director Lisa Martinez. “Children ages infant to five years old are especially vulnerable and rely entirely on their caregivers. We’re looking for families who can open up their home to provide the necessary care these young children require, and we are here to support our foster parents along the way.”

To help get children into loving homes, expedited foster parent training programs are being offered starting Saturday, July 11. Expedited foster care training is designed for families who are fully committed to becoming foster parents and would like to start right away. This is a fast-paced course that covers training requirements and topics that are included in the traditional eight-week foster parent training, but in a shorter amount of time.

In order to qualify for the expedited training, potential foster parents need to take the first step and attend a foster care information session. Information sessions are available as early as July 2 and 7, and a Spanish-speaking information session will be held July 9. During the session, the Family Services team will walk potential foster families through the next steps. Those steps include fingerprinting, a background check, submitting the application and documentation, preparing for the home safety inspection, and signing up for the expedited class.

For more information on becoming a foster parent, visit www.clarkcountyfostercare.com.

Training sessions