There are about 400 kids in the rural foster care system at any given time, and a significant lack of licensed foster care families.
In an effort to bridge the gap of need vs. supply, the Nevada Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS) is hosting a free, online pre-service training for foster care applicants during July and August.
“It’s exciting to think about how much a child can benefit from a loving home or a mentoring adult and that the adults benefit from those relationships too,” said Local DCFS Social Work Supervisor Kim Schmeling.
According to Kevin Quint, DCFS Clinical Program Manager stationed in Carson City, the training will cover the foster care process and what to expect, important information for future foster care parents to help understand their role and be successful, information for dealing with children who have experienced trauma and loss, working with birth parents and families, and licensure.
Participants will also have the opportunity to interact with judges, social workers, birth parents, current foster parents, former foster care children, and more to have those “big discussions”.
The program will run from July 11 to August 3 on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will prepare families for the next steps in the licensure process. Participants will also receive a free training book to go along with the course.
“This is part of what we do ... we really want people to be there with as few barriers as possible,” said Quint.
Schmeling said, “Fostering for adults can be a fun and challenging experience. The thing I like about Humboldt County is people are very helpful to their neighbors and their friends. And overall, it’s just a very helpful area to live. This gives people an opportunity to really take that to the next level, in the sense that they’re caring for another person’s child.”
Foster care children typically spend up to 18 months in the system, in some cases longer, before they are able to be reunited with their birth families, according to Schmeling, who cited the DCFS fact book. Having the ability to stay near their home, friends and school instead of being moved to a different county is very beneficial to both the children and birth families.
“We’ve had a lot of foster parents who are good at partnering with the biological parents, and almost become like a support system to the entire family, and, you know, have empathy for the parents who might be experiencing hard times. There becomes this connection between the foster parents and the biological parents where they work together to raise the children and to help the family get back on their feet,” explained Schmeling.
The program is also a great way for potential foster parents to decide if foster care is right for them and the participants can easily withdraw if need be, according to Quint.
“The training easily becomes a vetting process on behalf of the participating members,” he said.
The training also focuses on the neurobiology associated with trauma and responding to difficulties, which shows that positive connections help with healing, according to Quint, and this process can help benefit both children and adults.
Becoming a foster parent can make a real difference in the welfare of the community and for kids and families. To register for the training, contact Kevin Quint by phone: 775-684-1973 or by email: kevin.quint@dcfs.nv.gov.