Every May, there is a renewed focus on foster care.
You will see statistics shared, people wearing blue, and organizations across the country working to raise awareness. Those efforts are important and help draw attention to a system that supports children during some of the most difficult moments in their lives.
What is often not seen is the moment behind that awareness.
A child being removed from their home.
It does not happen on a schedule, and it rarely happens at a convenient time. More often than not, it takes place in the middle of the night, when something has gone wrong, and a child needs to be safe immediately. In that moment, everything becomes very simple and very urgent.
Where does that child go?
The Foster Care Gap in Rural Nevada
In Nevada, access to foster care resources varies widely by geography. Washoe and Clark counties have more centralized services, greater infrastructure, and more available placements.
In rural and frontier counties, the reality is different. Communities such as Douglas, Lyon, Carson City, Churchill, Elko, Humboldt, and Nye Counties continue to face a shortage of available foster homes.
According to the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services, there are roughly 60 general foster homes and 62 kinship homes serving the fifteen rural counties in Nevada. At the same time, 477 children were in custody in those rural counties during 2025 alone.
Children are often transported long distances after removal, sometimes traveling across multiple counties before a placement can be found. Even when foster families are available, placement is not always immediate. It takes time to find the right home, coordinate services, and ensure that the next step is appropriate for the child.
In the meantime, a child still needs a safe place to be. Austin’s House was created to meet that need. We are a licensed group foster home providing emergency shelter and support for children in crisis, serving all rural counties in Nevada. We are often the first place a child goes when everything changes.
More Than a Place to Stay
Emergency shelter is often misunderstood.
Children need to feel safe. They need to feel seen and cared for. They need to know that the adults around them are paying attention and that they matter.
At Austin’s House, we focus on creating an environment that provides structure and stability. We work to maintain routines whenever possible, support school continuity, and provide a steady, supportive setting.
Many of the children we serve come from Carson City and Douglas County, allowing them to continue attending their schools, participating in extracurricular activities, and keeping doctor’s appointments, dental visits, dances, and other milestones whenever possible. Recently, a group of Austin’s House teens attended prom and other school events while in our care.
These moments of normalcy matter deeply during a time when so much else feels uncertain.
This is what we mean when we say Austin’s House is more than just foster care.
Understanding the Need
The need for foster homes in rural Nevada continues to grow.
According to the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services, neglect accounts for approximately 25% of child removals in rural Nevada. Other leading causes include parental drug abuse, incarceration, domestic violence, unsafe housing conditions, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and abandonment.
Children entering care span every age group:
• 33% are ages 0–4
• 24% are ages 5–9
• 22% are ages 10–14
• 21% are ages 15–20+
Many foster families enter the system wanting to help, but quickly realize the level of trauma and need children are carrying. Foster parents need ongoing support, resources, and community encouragement to continue doing this work successfully.
Austin’s House is currently the only emergency shelter serving children from all rural counties in Nevada, and that responsibility reflects the ongoing need across our region.
The Importance of the First Step
The experiences children have in the earliest moments after removal can shape what comes next.
The first night. The first placement. The first sense of whether they are safe.
When those moments are handled with care and consistency, they can begin to influence outcomes in a more positive direction.
Austin’s House is part of that first step, providing a foundation of stability during a time that could otherwise feel overwhelming.
While Austin’s House is not intended to be a long-term placement, the reality of the foster care system means some children remain with us far longer than expected. Recently, one child celebrated 1,000 days at Austin’s House.
That milestone reflects both the complexity of the system and the importance of ensuring children feel safe, cared for, and supported for as long as they are with us.
A Community Effort
Austin’s House exists because of this community.
State funding covers less than 60% of the cost of care for the children staying at Austin’s House. The remaining support comes from donations, events, volunteers, grants, and corporate sponsorships.
That community support allows us to provide more than the bare minimum. It allows us to create a stable, nurturing environment where children can continue being kids, even in the middle of crisis.
This work does not happen only during National Foster Care Month or at specific times of the year. It happens every day, often quietly, without recognition.
The consistency of that support is what makes it possible for us to be ready at any time.
For those who want to learn more about how to be part of that support system, we have created a simple guide that outlines ways to get involved and make an impact.
👉 https://austinshousenv.org/austins-house-donor-guide-ways-to-make-an-impact/
Why This Work Matters
National Foster Care Month brings important attention to the needs of children in the system.
For children in rural Nevada, those needs are often exacerbated by limited resources and available placements.
As Lori Nichols with the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services explained, abused and neglected children are among the most vulnerable populations in our communities, and rural regions often have even fewer resources available to support them.
For the children who come through Austin’s House, that need continues well beyond the month of May.
Every time a child arrives, there is an opportunity to provide stability, care, and a sense of safety during a moment of uncertainty.
That is the work we are committed to every day.
And it is work made possible by a community that continues to show up in meaningful ways. Thank you to all of our donors, foster families, volunteers, partners, and supporters for stepping up for Nevada’s children in crisis.
Sources: Nevada Division of Child and Family Services, Lori Nichols, Foster Care Licensing Supervisor, 2026.