NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — May is recognized as Foster Care Awareness Month, and in Clark County, officials say the need for foster families remains as thousands of children continue to rely on the system every day.
According to Clark County officials, about 3,000 children are in foster care on any given day, with nearly 80 children waiting inside an emergency shelter. While the county has seen an increase in foster homes in recent years, officials say there is still a strong need for bilingual foster families and families of color.
North Las Vegas foster parent Pauline Jackson knows that need firsthand. She says caring for children has always come naturally.
“They, I guess, get my aura, because anywhere I am, the kids are going to come where I am,” she said.
Jackson is someone Channel 13 has spoken with before, and she says she continues her work as a foster parent more than a decade after first opening her home to children in need.
She said her journey into foster care began when she stepped in to help the children of a loved one during a difficult time.
“Once I started, I just saw a need. The kids need us, so I just got into it,” Jackson said.
Now, 15 years later, Jackson says she continues helping provide children with a safe place to stay while also working toward reunifying families. She says that often means supporting not only the children, but also their parents as they work to rebuild their families.
“I got a little boy by the name of Guy in my custody, and his dad was just working with the system to reunify, and I just did everything I could to help that,” Jackson said.
That little boy has since reunited with his father, but Jackson says their relationship remains strong, and she later became his godmother.
“I didn't expect him to ask me that," she said. "Just to know a parent would still want me, you know, to be in their child's life and give me that type of responsibility, it was amazing."
Allyson Manumaleuna, a family services supervisor, says the county is always looking for more foster homes.
“We're always in need of at least a good 150 to 200 foster homes,” Manumaleuna said.
Officials said Clark County has seen a 41% increase in foster homes since 2022, but the county still hopes to recruit more bilingual families and families of color to better reflect the children currently in care.
“Thirty-nine percent of children in care are African American, and about 29 percent are Hispanic, and so because of that, we want to be able to offer homes that look like the kids that are in care,” Manumaleuna said.
Jackson says those cultural connections can make a lasting impact on children who have already experienced major disruptions in their lives.
“They have already been displaced from their homes, so you want something of yourself,” Jackson said.
Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones is hosting an “Evening with the Stars of Foster Care” event for people interested in becoming foster parents. The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, at Whitney Recreation Center on 5712 E. Missouri Ave. The event will provide information about licensing, training and available support systems.
For more information about becoming a foster parent, click here.
