Northern Nevada's foster kids are in a bind. As Washoe County Department of Social Services Director Kevin Schiller told us, "We really have a high need right now in recruitment for foster parents."
The need is not only great, it's really quite troubling. We're talking about a crucial service that seeks to protect kids who may have been abused. Right now in Washoe County, the need for good foster homes is at a high point. The end result has left shelters like Kids Cottage near capacity, which is not a solution. As Schiller put it, "That's not our preferred placement. We like to try to keep kids in their neighborhoods of origin, close to their schools."
Schiller says fewer people moving to Nevada, and some moving out, has shortened the list of good foster parents in town. At the same time, economic pressures have led to more trouble in the family home. Schiller says, "The most common thing we see is neglect. And as you can guess, we have a lot of substance abuse." Social Services Supervisor Mikie Franklin added, "There's always new drugs unfortunately coming around that parents struggle with."
Some of the stories Franklin shares are incredibly sad. But they've also witnessed a lot of success, even in the most hopeless of cases. Like the 2 brothers who are now healing in a foster home. "There's a 3-year old who's now speaking sentences who would only grunt before. The younger one who's only 1 can speak almost 5 words and couldn't speak at all." Often they see the happiest endings: kids who become real members of the family after being adopted. Franklin told us, "It's exactly what we would love for every family to do."
Close to 100 kids need permanent homes, and another 50 need foster homes in Washoe County alone. Children who did not ask to be in their situation are on the county's website with their stories, and hopeful faces, looking for some help, and love, to succeed. As Schiller told us, "I want to encourage anybody out there that can provide a loving home, to really reach out to us. We need you to help our kids."
-written by John Potter
Foster parents must be at least 21 years old, married, single or divorced, and have 27 hours of training. And you do collect monthly stipends. Here are some links if you're interested:
http://www.co.washoe.nv.us/socsrv/socsrv_child_fostercare.html
FAQ'S: http://www.co.washoe.nv.us/socsrv/socsrv_child_fostercare_faq.html
And here's a link to see the children now up for adoption:
www.haveaheartnv.org
