MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Children’s Wisconsin, responding to a growing need for Spanish-speaking foster parents, has recently enhanced its online resources.

According to a Tuesday, Jan. 16 press release from Children's Wisconsin, in Milwaukee County, roughly 1,800 children are in foster care, with 13 percent identifying as Hispanic/Latino. That said, only seven percent of current foster parents are Hispanic/Latino.

To address that gap, the Children’s Wisconsin Foster Parent Recruitment team have unveiled a Spanish-language foster care information and application page on its website as an aim to bolster Wisconsin's largest nonprofit foster care agency.

The primary goal of the foster program is to offer a temporary home for children, ideally leading to reunification with biological family members. Approximately 60 percent of foster children reportedly return to their families. However, in cases where reunification is not possible, foster parents may have the opportunity to adopt children in their care.

Becoming a foster parent requires meeting certain criteria. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and can be of any relationship status, including single, married or partnered. Prospective foster parents should either rent or own a home with at least two bedrooms. Financial stability is essential, with monthly income surpassing expenses. Good overall health, with any physical or mental health conditions under control, is also a prerequisite.

For further details and to explore the possibility of becoming a foster parent, individuals are encouraged to visit the Children’s Wisconsin website.