Washoe County says there is a great need for more foster families to help care for children in need.
The county says the number of foster families have not picked back up since the pandemic ended.
There are about 600 children in foster care in Washoe County, and more come in each day.
Washoe County says the children need to be placed in a family, so the impact is falling on existing foster families.
"We have foster families who are taking more and more foster children in because our numbers are so low," said Laura Caprioli, Foster Care Recruitment and Placement Support Supervisor for the Washoe County Human Services Agency. "If we had ten more foster families in every single zip code in this county, a huge relief, a huge burden would be reduced from our currently licensed foster families."
One foster parent saw this need eight years ago and decided to help out.
"We got to know the foster care system and some of the deepest darkest places of our most vulnerable families," said Kate Schmidt, local Washoe County foster parent. "Our hearts were turned towards these children and their families, and we said we had to do something."
While it hasn't been easy, Schmidt says she has zero regrets going on this journey.
"It's one of the hardest things we've done and the most beautiful thing we have ever done, and we could not imagine our lives without the lives that have impacted our hearts and minds," she said.
Schmidt says there's a stigma that comes with foster care and that you don't need to be perfect to get involved.
"To say, no, actually just like me, I'm a mess too and it's okay to be a mess, but I'm going to sit here with you, and we'll get through this together," she states.
Washoe County says being a foster parent doesn't mean you take on a large number of children. You get to decide what works best for you and your family.
"The license is a part of the process where you get to determine how many children and the ages of children you want in your home," Caprioli said.
Before you are chosen to care for a child, the county sets up meetings to determine if it's a good fit for both you and the child.
One thing the county stresses is having family and community support will help keep foster families wanting to continue to do it more.
"We recently launched our foster connect program where local businesses can forward and offer discounts or services to foster families and this really releases the burden," Caprioli said.
If you don't feel like you can foster, there are other ways you can help by either mentoring or offering to help a current foster family.
The county says being a foster parent isn't a long and intensive process, and they encourage people no matter their background or circumstances to consider it.
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, Washoe County says they can answer all of your questions.
Their number is (775) 337-4470.
To learn more about being a foster parent and what you need to know to sign up, you can find more information here.
