Foster Care Services
Foster Parents are always in high demand, especially those who are culturally diverse!
There are approximately 700 children in the Washoe County Human Services Agency Foster System and fewer than 400 foster families. You can help fill this void and make a difference in a child’s life.
Have a Heart Washoe offers comprehensive programs and resources for foster parents and will help you navigate the process of becoming a licensed foster parent, adoptive parent, or mentor.
The application and approval process is a family-friendly and child-centered approach that focuses on developing potential caregivers who wish to foster, adopt or mentor. As caregivers move through the approval process, they are considered for potential placement of children served by the child welfare agency. Call us at (775) 337-4470 or you can begin the process now by clicking here to watch a short information session video, and complete the post information session questionnaire. Keep scrolling for more great information on becoming a foster parent.
Temporarily Provide a Safe & Loving Home for Children in Need
A foster parent provides a safe, stable and loving home for children who must live away from their parents due to abuse or neglect. The goal of the Washoe County Human Services Agency (WCHSA) is to safely reunite children with their families whenever possible. Foster and adoptive parents help facilitate that goal.
Washoe County Children Need You
Hundreds of children in Washoe County need a quality family and home. Children in foster care are of every age and ethnicity, have siblings and may have behavioral/medical challenges.
Children in care are no different than children who are not in care. They learn and grow, like to hang out with friends and need the love and stability that comes from being in a family. That is where you as a foster parent can help; by providing that home and security for children in our care.
Types of Foster Care
When the safety, protection and well-being of a child cannot be met in their own home, substitute care may be necessary. Washoe County Human Services Agency (WCHSA) has the responsibility to help develop, recruit, train, license and retain the most appropriate families available who can meet the needs of the child in care. The goal for a child in foster care is to reunify with their birth family but may be changed if it meets the best interest of the child.
Have you ever thought about fostering? Please join us at one of the next information sessions to learn about our programs, licensing process, and how you can help children in Washoe County!
Learn More
Learn more about becoming a foster parent and how you can be a hero to a child or teenager.
View FAQ's
Training to become a foster parent is required so you can have a better understanding of what your new child has been through and how to best integrate them into your family. Training is an excellent opportunity to meet and share information with other families who are becoming foster parents.
View Training Topics
Zack and Raina
Reno, NV
Kirby and Stacey
North Valleys, NV
Adrian and Steve
Sparks, NV
Terrance and Lanesha
Reno, NV
Featured Foster Parents are foster, relative, and adoptive caregivers that are an integral part of Washoe County Human Services Agency team and the community!
Information Session
