What is Foster Care?

Foster Care is taking a child, or maybe even more than one child, into your home. Koinonia serves “treatment” level children who tend to have been exposed to more severe trauma. Our children, due to the trauma they have experienced, require predictability and structure in the home to allow them to grow and thrive.

Our Mission.

Our mission in Nevada is to provide the highest quality Treatment Foster Care, Day Treatment, and Outpatient Services available for children, youth and their families whose special needs can be met through services delivered, supervised and supported by professional agency staff.

What Can You Do?

You can partner with us by becoming a foster parent, making a donation, fund raising, or seeking employment. No matter how you partner with Koinonia Foster Homes & Family Services in Nevada, you will be making a difference in the lives of very special children in our local area.

Requirements

• Must be financially self-supporting in accordance with state regulations.
• Complete a series of forms.
• Attend a 40-hour pre-licensure training program taught by the Koinonia staff.
• All adults in your home must be fingerprinted and obtain a criminal record clearance and a child abuse index clearance.
• Have a TB test, showing negative results.
• Obtain a general health clearance.
• Receive CPR & First Aid training (infant, child & adult CPR)
• Water Safety Training is necessary if there is a body of water such as a pool, spa or pond on the property, or if the children swim in an area where there is no lifeguard on duty.
• A current DMV printout showing proof of a valid Nevada driver’s license.
• Proof of auto insurance.
• Proof of homeowner’s or renter’s liability insurance.
• Home study evaluation and interviews completed with Koinonia staff.

The entire process takes between 4-6 months

In-depth look at Koinonia in Nevada

In 1994 Koinonia expanded to Nevada. Since then Koinonia has served the Nevada community helping over 1000 specialized foster children. In 2006 Koinonia Foster Homes changed our company name to Koinonia Family Services, to better represent the other services our agency provides. In Nevada, you may run into both names…”Koinonia Foster Homes” and “Koinonia Family Services,” as we want to be sure we keep the great need for foster homes in front of the public eye.

In Nevada, Koinonia’s programs include “treatment level” Specialized Foster Care, Day Treatment, After School Day Treatment, and Outpatient Therapy. Serving over 20 years in the Nevada foster home community, Koinonia has served children in need of loving and dedicated foster homes. Our children have severe trauma including sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and many times all of the above. Over the years, Koinonia has grown and now offers many services to children, youth and their families. We work in cooperation with the State and County Child Welfare agencies. The Child Welfare agencies (DCFS in rural Nevada and WCDSS in Washoe County) refer children who qualify for treatment level Specialized Foster Care to private providers like Koinonia for placement in a program that will best meet their needs. When Koinonia receives a call for placement of a child, our staff and the placing agency assess their needs to determine the most appropriate specialized foster home or treatment program.

When a child is placed in a Koinonia home, the family receives monthly financial reimbursement for the care of the child, 24-hour support services by clinical and casework staff, ongoing specialized training, and support for the child’s mental health, emotional, and physical needs. The length of time children live in a foster home can vary from short-term, up to six months, to long term, up to several years. Sometimes our foster parents even end up adopting the foster children who have been living with them.
Koinonia is here to support foster parents, the children who live with them, and the teams who serve the children. We work hard to be the best support we can be so foster families can make their best difference in the lives of these most vulnerable children.

Process

When becoming a Specialized Foster Parent with Koinonia, you are required to meet all the requirements as well as 40 hours of in-house training with our highly trained staff.

Taking The First Steps

Ready to take the first steps in the process? You’ve done some research and some thinking, now it’s time to take those first steps. First, start off with giving us a call at 775-826-1113, speak with Rachel, our Community Liaison; she’ll be able to answer any questions you have.

Official Interview With Our Director

Once you’ve spoken with our Community Liaison and you feel ready to take the next step, we will schedule an official interview with our Nevada Clinical Director.

Time For Training

Once you finished with the interviewing process, and have been determined to be a good match with Koinonia, we will start the process of getting you through the required 40 hours of pre-licensure training.
During the 40 hour training process, you will learn the resources and skills needed to safely foster a child.
Once you’ve completed the state required 40 hours of training as well as the background checks, home studies and paper work, you’ll be ready to start fostering specialized foster children…changing their lives and our world one child at a time!