With Clark County’s emergency shelter filling up, officials are making a public plea: they need local families to step up for foster kids, especially the youngest ones, and they need them quickly.
Roughly 100 children are currently staying at Child Haven, the county’s emergency shelter, and officials say almost half of them are under age 6. To move kids out of the shelter faster, the county has rolled out an expedited foster parent training that starts July 11, along with a string of information sessions across the region to get would-be caregivers licensed on a shorter timeline.
County officials lay out the need
Frank Prado, director of Clark County Family Services, emphasized how hard it is to find homes that can keep brothers and sisters together. "Keeping siblings together isn't just about convenience - it's about preserving the most important relationships these children have," he said in a Clark County news release.
The release notes that 36 sibling groups are currently waiting for placement. It also reports that the Child Haven campus typically has about 90 to 100 children at any given time while staff scramble to find homes. County leaders say they have already started one expedited training cohort and are urging more residents to begin the licensing process so additional children can leave shelter care for family homes.
Fast-track training and the timeline
In a post on X, the county announced that the expedited training will begin July 11, along with a series of information sessions over the coming weeks for people ready to move quickly through the licensing steps. The post encourages interested residents to attend an information session so they can start their application, fingerprinting and background check as soon as possible.
Local coverage has described the fast-track option as compressing the usual multi-week course into two intensive weekends so families can be ready for placements sooner, as reported by KTNV. The county’s full schedule and sign-up details are listed on X.
How to get started
For prospective foster parents, the first hurdle is simply showing up: residents must attend a foster care information session before anything else. After that, families complete fingerprints, undergo a background check and submit a formal application ahead of training.
Clark County’s foster licensing guidelines outline required trainings such as CPR, car-seat safety and about 24 hours of coursework for most caregivers. The county also explains interim ICare openings geared toward infants and toddlers, as detailed on Clark County.
Where sessions are being held
The county’s outreach lists multiple July and early August information sessions at the Mesquite Recreation Center, along with several August dates in Las Vegas hosted with community partners. One partner, Raise the Future, runs caregiver trainings and connection events and is slated to host several of those August sessions alongside the county.
Why the need persists
County figures and local reporting point to thousands of children in Clark County’s foster system, with estimates of roughly 3,000 to 3,600 kids in care. Officials say the community still needs hundreds more licensed foster homes to keep pace. Coverage has noted that the county is trying to recruit about 200 to 300 additional families and has expanded kinship and specialized placements so children can stay with relatives when possible, as reported by FOX5.
Residents who want to help are being urged to start by signing up for an information session; the county’s post on X includes the sign-up link and full schedule. Community partners such as Raise the Future can also connect prospective caregivers with trainings and ongoing support once they are licensed.
