Jan

Thursday night, 63-year-old Dean Arthur Schwartzmiller, a man said to be one of the most active child molesters in the world, is in custody in San Jose, California.

But now, the real work begins trying to find all of his victims -- possibly thousands of them all across the globe as well as right here in Nevada. Schwartzmiller is a convicted sex offender in other states but authorities lost track of him because he failed to register.

Soon Nevada residents will have some help in tracking sex offenders. Nevada is one of 20 states that will help launch the Justice Department's National Registry of Offenders. That national registry will debut around later next month.

It was about a year ago that the state unveiled it's own registry.

Part of the criticism of state-run sites has been that offenders can lose their "standing" by moving from "state to state." Now, that may all change.

The Department of Public Safety's Sex Offender website will show you hundreds of pictures and descriptions of offenders who live in Nevada.

Still, there is danger lurking in many neighborhoods. Don Dinardi's daughter was abducted and raped. The man responsible is a repeat offender who never registered with the state like he was supposed to. That has been the criticism of state-run websites -- those who move to Nevada from around the country can slip through the cracks and lose their "designation."

Cynthia Musgrove, with the Children's Advocacy Center, says, "As soon as we heard about it we knew we had to get on board. This is going to be huge. If you suspect anyone by name, go ahead and look it up.

Family and children's advocates are excited about the announcement that the Department of Justice will open up a national registry on July 19.

Musgrove adds, "Especially here in Nevada, this is a place where many people go to hide."

The website will allow people to search sex offender databases from 20 states, including Nevada.

Those close to the program say Nevada was chosen because the state's online technology is compatible with the government's and because of a strong community urging.

One criticism of the national website is that it will provoke more vigilante actions. But supporters are not buying it. "It's a safety issue for the victims. And personally I'm for their safety and for the safety of the children," Musgrove said.

Again, twenty states -- including Nevada -- will participate in the pilot program starting next month. The thirty other states will be online by fall. And the cost of using this database will be free.

National Sex Offender Registry-6/16/05

Congressional Record 6/14/05

Washington, DC- On the floor of the House of Representatives, Congressman
Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) today reiterated his support for legislation introduced
by his colleague Congressman Mark Foley (R-Fla.) to overhaul the nation's
sex offender laws. He encouraged the passage of provisions similar to those
recently passed by the Nevada State legislature to require sex offenders to
renew their drivers' licenses every year. In his speech, Gibbons also
highlighted the efforts of the Children's Advocacy Alliance to protect
children. The text of his speech follows.

"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give my strong support to H.R. 2423, the Sex
Offender Registration and Notification Act, introduced by my good friend
from Florida, Mark Foley. This is a bill that will protect our children by
requiring sex offenders to register in person twice a year and calling on
states to maintain searchable sex offender databases. While Mr. Foley's
bill will provide a deterrent to the monsters who prey on our children, I
hope we can also pass provisions similar to those that the Nevada state
legislature recently passed.

"The Nevada bill adds an extra level of protection by requiring sex
offenders to renew their driver's license every year, a step made necessary
by the fact that so many of these offenders fail to register at all.
I want to close by expressing sincere thanks to Donna Coleman, President of
the Children's Advocacy Alliance. Ms. Coleman and her organization have
been outspoken advocates of the most innocent among us.... those who cannot
speak out for themselves...the children. Their motto is "Putting the Health
and Safety of Children First," and they have done just that by tirelessly
working in Nevada to ensure that laws are passed to support and defend our
children. Mr. Speaker, I applaud Mr. Foley and the Children's Advocacy
Alliance, and I look forward to working with them to protect our children."

Gibbons separately praised the announcement of the Children's Advocacy
Alliance that Nevada will be among the initial group of 20 states to launch
the National Sex Offender Website. The website is scheduled to go online
July 19, 2005. "The launch of this website is great news for the people of
Nevada and will help to provide our communities and our children with a
greater level of safety and security," said Gibbons.
-30-
For more information on Congressman Gibbons and his work for Nevada please
visit: www.house.gov/gibbons

Sex Offender Bill passes SB 341 6/13/05

Reno Gazette 06/13/2005

Child Welfare in Crisis

Dave Courvoisier, Anchor
Crisis in the Foster Care System
May 2, 2005, 11:03 PM

Infants have become a growing casualty of drug use and population growth in Southern Nevada. A new study just completed for the Division of Family Services paints a dire picture of childcare in Clark County. It's a problem that didn't happen overnight, and can't be fixed in a day.

Child Haven is the county's emergency shelter. Kids go there when parents fail to give them basic care. More often than not, the parents go to jail and their kids enter "the system" overflowing the capacity.

Child Haven takes in two to three substance-dependent infants every day -- kids whose parents care more about their drug habit than their kids.

"Our court hearing master tells me he's seeing 2-4 infants a day born substance exposed. They're already born with drugs in their system," says Susan Klein-Rothschild.

Susan Klein-Rothschild heads-up the Division of Family Services. Her almost-impossible challenge is to find enough foster homes for children with nowhere else to go.

"We are really in desperate need for family foster homes and for adoptive homes, and people who want to care for kids, bottom line, says Rothschild.

"We need more foster families, absolutely, but that's a long process," says Cynthia Musgrove of the Children's Advocacy Alliance.

Cynthia Musgrove should know, she worked in the system 20 years and now advocates for children to young to speak for themselves.

"We go out and hit a pothole in the road, and we call our county commissioners and we say, 'Ya know my street, I want it fixed!' Why can't we feel that way about the kids in our system? Instead of waiting for a death, why are we waiting for a child to die? We need to care now and that's the only way we're gonna fix the system."

Throwing money at the problem is not enough to fix things, but it's important to have enough dollars to staff childcare agencies.

On Tuesday, Eyewitness News will look at what the legislature is doing to help with funding. And then on Wednesday we'll open up the phone lines to recruit help from the community.

Potential Law Suit 4/08/05

Potential Law Suit

O'Reilly Factor March 2005

Factor Follow Up Segment
Jessica Lunsford
Guest: Donna Coleman, President of the Children's Advocacy Alliance

John Couey, charged with killing 9-year old Jessica Lunsford, had had been arrested 26 times in the past and was a convicted sex offender. Yet no one in the Citrus County Probation Office was aware of those facts and Couey was even employed at Jessica's elementary school. Donna Coleman of the Children's Advocacy Alliance asserted Florida's supervision of sex offenders is out of control. "Governor Bush had better look at his state, and really hard. This is outrageous and pathetic that parole and probation did not know this guy's record." Coleman also suggested a new system. "We need a national sex offender website. The average person should be able to go on line, put in a name, and find out where that person is registered." The Factor expressed outrage at the situation. "Don't expect Governor Bush to do anything, but maybe the folks will start to rise up and ask who the sex offenders are in our neighborhood. We obviously have a lot of work to do in this country or we're going to have more 9-year old girls murdered."

ABC Nightly News with Peter Jennings-3/21/05

World News Tonight with Peter Jennings

CAA critical of Nevada's Federal Improvement Plan 2/25/05

CAA critical of Nevada's Federal Improvement Plan 2/25/05

1997 RJ Editorial on the launching of CAA

1997 RJ Editorial on the launching of CAA

City Life article 1/20/05

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Report card gives Nevada failing grade in several child welfare categories

BY RYAN SLATTERY

One of every 10 high school students in Nevada has attempted suicide. More alarming, one in five admits to having seriously considered killing themselves within the past 12 months. And girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are most at-risk, attempting suicide at a much higher rate than boys their age.

Those shocking statistics are what earned Nevada an overall D- grade on the Children's Advocacy Alliance's 2004 report card, which compares and ranks states on child welfare issues based on government research data. Of the 19 categories studied, Nevada received an F in 10, meaning the state ranks among the worst in the nation. Our best grade, an A-, came in the infant and child mortality category.

"It's just embarrassing," Alliance President Donna Coleman said with disgust, indicating that the state's uncontrolled growth makes it difficult for services and programs to keep pace. "It's [Las Vegas] a terrible town to raise kids in."

The state is failing in a wide range of areas from per pupil expenditure (44th in the nation) and student-teacher ratio (45th) to child immunization (45th) and high school drug use. Nevada ranked among the bottom four states for both marijuana and cocaine usage and was last for methamphetamine use with 12 percent of high school students admitting to having used methamphetamine. And when it comes to teens dropping out of school, we're 49th. Only Arizona has a higher percentage of dropouts when compared to the 14 percent of Nevada students who leave and never receive their diploma.

Another problem area is teen pregnancy. With 30 births per 1,000 females between the ages of 15 and 17, Nevada ranks 38th in the nation and earned a D- from the alliance. In a survey of Nevada teens, 33 percent of ninth-graders reported that they've had sex, with the percentage steadily increasing by grade to 69 percent for high school seniors. And one in five high school students claims to have had four or more partners in their lifetime.

Coleman lays partial blame for the teen-pregnancy rate on the Clark County School District's eyes-closed policy of strictly teaching abstinence in a town that promotes sex and bombards residents with racy advertisements and a "what happens here, stays here" attitude.

"We have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country and we're trying to teach abstinence? How hypocritical," Coleman said, mocking the policy. "We're trying to raise PG kids in an X-rated town. It doesn't work."

Lynda Tanner Delgado is the community liaison for the Jason Foundation at Montevista Hospital, a suicide awareness program. She's been working on youth intervention projects for 25 years and is now focused on educating parents and teachers on how to detect the warning signs and prevent youth suicide. The group also works with the students themselves.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the 15-24 age group. According to the Centers for Disease Control's most recent report, in 2002, 423 people in Nevada killed themselves. That year, Nevada recorded the most adolescent suicides in the nation. The state now ranks third in that category -- but not, Delgado points out, because the number of kids committing suicide is declining; it's because our population is increasing.

"It's called the silent epidemic," Delgado explained. "The issue is just so heavy that people don't want to talk about it. They feel if we talk about suicide, kids are going to do it, but it's the exact opposite. Intervention helps."

It did recently in the case of two local 8-year-olds who were found to have written suicide notes and are now being treated for depression. But help never came for four other Clark County children who killed themselves in the past two months.

Delgado is optimistic for the future, saying that the state is definitely moving in the right direction. A 10-person suicide prevention coalition has just been established and members, including Delgado, will be attending a training seminar in Oregon next month. The hope, she said, is to get classes on suicide prevention taught in the schools. Valley High School is one of only a handful currently tackling the subject.

Delgado said Las Vegas' transient nature and the lack of resources are reasons for the high suicide rate. She said oftentimes parents new to town don't know where to go or who to turn to for help, until it's too late.

"People are opening their eyes and coming together," Delgado said. "It's just a long and slow process, but we're making progress."

Parents and teens looking for help or more information on how to prevent youth suicide can contact the Jason Foundation through its 24-hour Community Assistance Resource Line at 877-778-CARL (2275).

Channel 8 News Coverage - Report Card 05

Channel 8 News Coverage - Report Card 05

Channel 3 News Report Card 1/14/05

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=2812564&nav=15MUUi4B

Review Journal - Report Card 1/15/05

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Jan-15-Sat-2005/news/25669962.html

LV Sun - Report Card 05

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-other/2005/jan/14/518126663.html

Sex Offender website get's D-10/20/04

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-other/2004/oct/20/517694182.html

State Get's Grant-10/11/04

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-other/2004/oct/11/517646705.html

Sex Offender Web-Reno Gaz.9/25/04

http://www.rgj.com/extra/registeredsexoffenders.php

Additional Sex Offender information for web; Sept. 7, 2004

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-crime/2004/sep/07/517469080.html

Internet site leads to arrest of sex offender, July 8, 2004

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-crime/2004/jul/08/517142798.html

New York Times-June 1st, 2004

Adolescents in Adult City: Often From Elsewhere, and Often Going Nowhere

By CHARLIE LeDUFF

Published: June 1, 2004

AS VEGAS, May 27 - City elders tried marketing Las Vegas as a family destination. The scheme was jettisoned for a new campaign that hypes Las Vegas as America's grown-up romper room, the center of sin and indulgence.

Now the hotel rooms are full, and people keep moving here to take jobs building and cleaning them. Las Vegas grows at a supersonic rate. But within this growth lie seeds of conflict. Away from the adult fantasy of the Strip, Sin City and its suburbs crawl with children and parents trying to raise them. One in four Las Vegans is a minor.

Advertisement
document.write('');

The witch's brew of adolescence in a 24-hour town takes a toll on teenagers here. Consider that Nevada, led by Las Vegas and the suburbs of Clark County, ranks near the bottom for a host of teenage afflictions: violence, drug use, pregnancy, suicide and drop-out rates. The schools are crowded and underfinanced, leading to a churning system that tends to lose track of children. According to the Nevada Department of Education, more than 12 percent of high school students drop out in senior year. Moreover, 36 percent of Clark County students were not enrolled for the entire school year.

Who needs high school anyway? teenagers ask. Not when valet parking attendants tell stories about making $100,000 a year. Here, stripping and blackjack dealing are viable career choices. To a teenager, adult life in Las Vegas can look easy.

Part of the easy life is acting hard. While the juvenile population increased 20 percent over the last four years, juvenile delinquency increased more than 30 percent, according to a state report. There are more than 150 gangs now, including a growing white supremacist element.

All big cities have their problems, city leaders are quick to point out. Children struggle everywhere. But Nevada consistently ranks poorly among states on issues affecting children's well-being, according to "Nevada Kids Count,'' a report by the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"Just half of Nevada's residents have lived here more than 11 years," said Dr. R. Keith Schwer, the center's director. "Lots of people coming and going. It has a toll on kids, particularly children."

The chaos of growth is one problem. Another is the type of people that growth and opportunity attract. Broken and blended families come for a new life. Second chancers, they are called.

"People come here with problems from somewhere else," said Jonathan Vansboskerck, an assistant district attorney who prosecutes juveniles. "Parents work split shifts and kids take their cues from each other. Unsupervised homes, basically."

Broken families or traditional ones, it does not seem to matter. Parents often work the swing or graveyard shifts and do not arrive home until well after dark. With so many families from out of state, there are few aunties or grandmothers or cousins to speak of, leaving a tribe of unsupervised teenagers. High school lets out at 1:10 p.m., hours before parents make their long commutes home from the Strip. Teenagers are most likely to have sex when parents are not at home, according to the "Kids First" study, in those afternoon and evening hours when Mom and Dad are working.

While there are after-school activities like study hall and sports leagues and 4-H Clubs, there are not enough of them, said Donna Coleman, a former state school board member and executive director of the Children's Advocacy Alliance, a nonprofit group that studies children's issues.

"Whatever we're doing, it's not working and we need to do more," Ms. Coleman said. "A lot of the problem is parental responsibility. The influence of the profligate adult life, the lack of a coherent community, no extended family. Who's looking after the children and who's going to pay for it?"

For example, Ms. Coleman points out, while schools require a suicide prevention course, there are no suicide prevention programs. The suicide hotline is a toll-free number that routes callers out of state.

Then there is the issue of sex for sale. The billboards featuring tacit lesbian sex are everywhere. Sin City is full of men plying convenience stores and bus stations and street corners for lonely, unsupervised girls. The neon draw of the Strip can be hard to resist.

"Kids are getting bombarded by the stimulation of today's society, particularly in Las Vegas," said Tom Waite, site director of Girls and Boys Town of Nevada, which counsels and shelters runaways and others. "We're tying to calm the kids down."

Parents go to extreme lengths to keep children on the right road. Jannie Poulos, 39, is a daytime bartender at a local tavern on the affluent northwest side of town. On those days that she cannot find a baby sitter, or there are no after-school events, her son comes to the bar and has a soda in the back.

"I grew up here and so I know better," she said. "It's the kids from Iowa getting caught up in the moment. If you're going to raise a kid here with these kinds of influences, you have to know what your kid is up to. You have to care about them, basically

Las Vegas Sun-5/12/04-Sex Offender Website

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-crime/2004/may/12/516843115.html

Review Journal-5/12/04

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/May-12-Wed-2004/news/23865529.html

Sex Offender Website-Channel 3 coverage

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=1859574&nav=15MUN2SN

Sex Offender Website up and running

http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2004/05/10/70414.php?sp1=rgj&sp2=News&sp3=Local+News&sp5=RGJ.com&sp6=news&sp7=local_news

City Life Magazine-May 2004

http://www.lvcitylife.com/articles/2004/05/03/cover_story/cover.txt

Help for Former Foster Youth

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/debate/2004/jan/20/516205480.html

Sex Offender Website-Nov. 14, 2003

http://www.kvbc.com/global/video/popup/pop_index.asp?ClipID1=163960&h1=Sex%20Offender%20Web%20Site%20Going%20Public%20In%20Nevada&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=129700&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&playerVersion=8

United Way and CAA

Focus on Children-United Way & CAA

Commissioner's Award

US Department of Health and Human Services Award 2003

http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/profess/conferences/cbconference/fourteenth/comaward/nv.cfm

RJ Article 9/03

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Sep-14-Sun-2003/living/22132088.html

Where I Stand

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/commentary/2003/aug/15/515481678.html

LV Sun Sex Offender Web Story/3/12/03

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2003/mar/12/031210677.html

Channel 3 story on sex offender web 3/12/03

http://www.kvbc.com/global/video/popup/pop_index.asp?ClipID=123648&LiveURI=&ShowCC=0&TargetAdsTag=Promotion%205&CurrentPosition=0

RJ Story on Sex Offender Web 3/12/03

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Mar-13-Thu-2003/news/20877149.html

Sex Offender - 1/20/03

http://www.kvbc.com/global/video/popup/pop_index.asp?ClipID=114809&LiveURI=&ShowCC=0&TargetAdsTag=News&CurrentPosition=0

Sun-1/15/03

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/archives/2003/jan/15/514521665.html?Children's+Advocacy+Alliance

RJ-1/14/03 2nd article

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-gov/2003/jan/14/514516505.html

Sun-1/14/03

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/commentary/2003/jan/14/514516525.html

Sun-1/13/03

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2003/jan/13/514511244.html

Channel 13-1/10/03 Report Card Coverage

http://www.ktnv.com/news/jan03/109752.asp

Report Card 1/11/03-RJ

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Jan-11-Sat-2003/news/20443615.html

Las Vegas Sun Article - Jan. 10, 2003 - Report card

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2003/jan/10/514500651.html

Report Card-Chanel 3

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/Create_Email_Story.asp?s=1079441&Headline=Report%3A%20Nevada%20Among%20Worst%20for%20Health%20Care%2C%20Education%20of%20Children

Sex Offender Story-Channel 3

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?s= 1009732


Caring for Nevada's Children	Juliet V. Casey	Juliet_Casey@lvrj.com
January 19, 2002 Study: State makes some improvements
Caring for Nevada's Children - January 19, 2002 Study: State makes some improvements see link
article

Nevada Flunks with Education funding

Nevada flunks with education funding
Children's Legislative Report Card gives lawmakers bad marks in school aid.
by Ed Koch; Las Vegas Sun-January 18, 2002

The state Legislature will have to attend summer school if it is to earn a passing grade in how it funds education. The Children's Advocacy Alliance today released its Children's Legislative Report Card and gave passing grades for child health and welfare, juvenile justice and the protection of children, but a failing mark for education.
"We are now rated 44th in per-student funding," Donna Coleman said prior to announcing the findings at the Las Vegas Country Club this morning. "This is just not acceptable."
Bobbie Gang of the Nevada Women's Lobby said, "We are $1,000 per pupil behind the national average in funding. A lot of advocates will be addressing this at the next Legislature." A report card released last year by Chidlren's Advocacy Alliance, a nonprofit group that works with Metro Police and local agencies that help abused and neglected children, gave Nevada a "D" in education for being ranked 37th in per-pupil expenditures. Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, said he supports raising the education allocation, but he said lawmakers want a better accounting of how dollars are being spent by schools. "It would be easier for me to convince my colleagues if the Clark County School District were to undertake and (outside) audit," Williams said. "All of their audits have been in-house, and some (lawmakers) are not comfortable with that. Accountability is one of the roadblocks to this issue." Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said legislators should spend the next year examining the issue and return in 2003 with funding solutions. This year's report card reads, in part, "The inability to create a stable funding base for education continues to frustrate efforts to improve the quality of education for Nevada children..The states's abysmal funding of education must be looked at squarely in the face and all potential sources of funding must be considered." The Clark County School District praised the advocacy group's tough stand. "They are absolutely correct---funding per pupil is dismal," said Augie Orci, deputy superintendent of instruction for the School District. "We know what we have to do to educate children, but we have to have the funds to do it. The ball is in the legislators' and governor's court." Superintendent Carlos Garcia attended today's meeting and said afterward, "The legislators ought to be thankful the group didn't give a letter grade or it likely would have been a 'D-minus or an 'F".
"We've dropped seven places in less than a year in per-pupil funding. We feel vindicated that this group is another source that is saying what we have been saying all along." The report card praised lawmakers for passing Assembly Bill 1 to integrate state and local child welfare services and Assembly Bill 15 to provide financial support of grandparents who become legal guardians of their children's children. The Legislature also was lauded for increasing maximum child support payments.

Congressional Record

Supporting the goals and mission of National Children’s Memorial Flag Day
April 26, 2001

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Kentucky for joining me to show our support for National Children’s Memorial Flag Day. The fourth Friday of every April has come to be known as National Children’s Memorial Flag Day. This is a day to remember the children we have lost to violence and to raise awareness about the continuing problem of violence against children. It is a day to fly the Children’s Memorial Flag in remembrance. This flag depicts six figures of children holding hands and in the middle is a chalk outline of one child. This chalk outline symbolizes the devastating loss of young lives.

Almost daily, we are reminded of the violence that plagues our nation and our children. The statistics are startling. Among the 26 richest nations, the united states accounted for 73% of homicides in which a child was the victim. Three children a day die as a result of child abuse or neglect. Too many children are lost to violence while so many of these deaths are preventable.

I want this day to remind us that we must do a better job of keeping our children safe. Children are the most vulnerable members of our society. We, as a nation, have an obligation to guide and protect them. We all must work together to end the violence against our children.

Tomorrow, all 50 state governments and the District of Columbia will participate in National Children’s Memorial Flag Day. Many states are flying or displaying the Children’s Memorial Flag on or near their State Capitol. Other states are participating by issuing proclamations.

In Nevada, because of the diligence of Donna Coleman of the children’s advocacy alliance, the Children’s Memorial Flag is being flown over the Nevada state capital, the Nevada Department of Child Protective Services, City Hall in Las Vegas, the Clark County Government Building, the Clark County Child Protective Services Building. I commend Donna Husted for her efforts and thank her on behalf of all of the loved ones of the children we have lost.

This day is a community effort. A community effort that involves everyone. It crosses racial and ethnic lines. It crosses religious lines. And it crosses party lines.

I encourage all of my colleagues to support the goals of National Children’s Memorial Flag Day. It is a day to remember. To remember the innocent lives we have lost.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and ask that statements in support of the bill from other members be placed in the record.

Project helps children find extended family

Las Vegas Review Journal - View Publication
by: Janit Stahl
June 20, 2001

For foster children in the Las Vegas Valley, there is hope that placement, after termination of parents rights is with an extended family found by the Diligent Search project a the Clark County Family Court and Services Center.

The project searches for extended family members of children taken from homes by Child Protective Services in cases of abuse neglect, drug use or other domestic or criminal offenses. Their goal is to make a "kinship placement" that puts a child heading for foster care in the homes of family members across the country.

For years, foster children in Nevada have suffered the consequences of the state's bifurcated child welfare/foster child programs that mean a child would spend an extended time in foster care, possibly with several workers as well as different foster families. The system which uses state and county staff, lacks continuity, stability and unification, and children of parents arrested for violations such as abuse and neglect are often unintentionally alienated again by a system intended to protect them.

The Diligent Search Project began recently after years of planning and getting approval from state and county officials. The state had employed someone part-time to search for parents for child support, but a federal statute says that looking for relatives is not permitted.

Donna Coleman, Fred Fisher, and Stu Fredlund--all long-time participants in family court -- frustrated by the way children spent extended periods in foster care while the state had protective custody. The Diligent Search project aims to reduce the time children haave to wait for either adoption or reunification with their families.

It used to have to wait for the parents to get their act together and then get their children back, but we can't wait, said Donna Husted, President of the Children's Advocacy Alliance, a private, nonprofit corporation that advocates on behalf of abused and neglected children.

Coleman, who have served as a court-assigned child advocate said, "I didn't feel we did as much as we could. I wanted to advocate all the way" she said, adding that her goal is to get children placed and cases resolved in a more expedient manner.

Her organization was formed after the Children's Home in Boulder City closed in 1997 without finding other resources. The private organization brings professionsl from diverse business and backgrounds together to raise funds and provide human services for children in need of support when family members have failed them.

The children's Advocacy Alliance was part of the team that got approval for the new Diligent Search Project to start.

"When the Children's Advocacy Alliance got involved, it really took a significant leap forward", said Fred Fisher a attorney for the Children's Attorney Project of Clark County Legal Services. Fisher a former hearing master for the court, started to push for a program like the Diligent Search almost four years ago. He believes as the program becomes established, it will become more commonly used.

"If we find just a few family members, it is worth it," Fisher said. The program works in several well-planned steps that work in conjunction with the operation of the Family Court. In cases of abuse or neglect, the child is removed from the home and is seen in court for a hearing in 24 hours. In 48 hours, case workers and the court decide whether the child should be returned home or placed in foster care.

Parents are required to complete and sign several legal documents, including a Relative Information Request and Parent Affidavit on Relatives. This information is sent to the Diligent Search office, where Susie Creech begins looking for family members. Grant money funds Creech's employment. Other state dollars fund Evelyn Breed, who is part of the family search program.

"I use a program called Flat Rate, which helps me search several data bases for family information", said Creech who calls the family member and uses discretion. She does not relate information directly about the child and parents. She says families will to take children in protective custody are investigated. Creech generally gives the extended family members the number of the case worker and encourages them to call.

Parents of children taken in custody are often unwilling to conntact family members on their own; court participation in this process has made it more effective.

"It is critical to find a family resource for them", said Stu Fredlund of the Department of Child and Family Services.

"Before there wasn't a uniform way to find family members. now we have a strong coordinated effort," said Fredlund, who was also instrumental in starting the project.

"The Judges are really picking up the ball--requiring families to comply with the Diligent Search", Fredlund said. Fredlund said he is totally optimistic" about the future of the Diligent Search Project. It is an excellent example of public and private partnership, said Fredlund. For more information: Contact CAA: 228-1869 or Diligent Search 486-3891

Nevada Youth: Report gives state C-

by J.M. Kalil
Review Journal
Saturday, 1/13/01

Childen in NV are worse off in terms of education, health and safety than the vast majority of thier counterparts across the nation, according to a study released Friday by a Henderson group that champions children's causes.

And judging by the number of powerful public officials who showed up for a conference on the Children's Advocacy