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Clark County calls for more foster parents amid surge of infants entering care

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Clark County is asking more residents to consider becoming foster parents amid a surge of infants entering the system.

As of May 3, more than 467 infants (1 year old or younger) have come into Clark County foster care, putting the number of infants on track to outpace the 793 and 781 in foster care in 2021 and 2020, respectively.

“By recruiting residents to begin the process of becoming foster parents now, there will be more infant-ready foster homes available later this year if the trend continues,” read a statement from Clark County.

There are more than 3,400 children in the county’s foster care system on any given day. In honor of National Foster Care Month in May, Clark County Family Services partnered with a local artist to create a traveling art exhibit focused on youth and the need for foster parents. The exhibit will open May 20 at Downtown Summerlin.

The county also is seeking more foster parents who can care for children with special medical needs and for sibling groups with three or more children. Training, background checks and home inspections are required to obtain a foster parent license, and can take several months. Once licensed, the county compensates foster parents “typically around $700 per month per child” and provides some support services for medical and other costs for foster children.

Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent can find more info at ClarkCountyFosterCare.com.

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Shannon Miller

Shannon Miller joined Las Vegas Weekly in early 2022 as a staff writer. Since 2016, she has gathered a smorgasbord ...

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