STATE OF NEVADA - Division of Child and Family Services

• Emphasize the use of data as a critical and meaningful resource for all stakeholders in defining jurisdictional needs,
identifying resources that positively impact outcomes for children and families, and planning for the allocation of
personnel and other resources.
CIP as well as DCFS continue to share common goals related to safety, permanency, and well being as well as the lack of
legal counsel. Child abuse and neglect issues are one of the Court’s highest priorities for the previous years. Focus for the
next couple of years will be on placement stability, permanency, and adoptions. There were areas needing improvement
in the CFSR that the court has a direct role in affecting improvement. Issues requiring a collaborative approach are
discussed and items of mutual concern are identified.
There are several ongoing CIP initiatives supported by this program. The first centers around the Interstate Compact on
the Placement of Children (ICPC). Based on the 2008 Nevada State ICPC Assessment and best practices identified from
sister states, activities in CIP’s Strategic Plans were revised in January 2009. Benchmarks include evaluating and
developing web-based training for judges and DCFS on the effective use of ICPC, and thereafter incorporating into
regularly provided trainings for social workers, attorneys, judges, providers, CASA volunteers, and foster parents
beginning with the evaluation in July 2010 and the development of web-based training in December 2010. This training is
designed to assist stakeholders in understanding the complexities of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of
Children. The National Resource Center has provided technical assistance to CIP as well as DCFS by conducting on-site
visits, interviewing staff, reviewing files, protocols and of state law and regulations to identify legal and practical barriers
that might prevent timely judicial decision making determine methods to expedite ICPC cases.
A second initiative supported by CIP includes efforts related to the collaborative $3.7 million methamphetamine grant.
CIP collaborated with the State in submitting a proposal on a Target Grant to Increase the Well-Being and Permanency
Outcomes for, Children Affected by Methamphetamine or Substance Abuse. Specific strategies to support the expansion
of the family drug court program in the Eighth Judicial District Court were also included. The State of Nevada DCFS of
Child & Family Services (DCFS) as the lead agency, sought funding in the total amount of $3,742,000.00 under Program
Option 2 ($1,000,000 annual award for 5 years – Declining Federal Award) with the following partners: the Nevada
Attorney General’s Office (AG); Nevada’s Court Improvement Project (CIP); CCDFS Drug Dependency Court, Nevada’s
Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Agency (SAPTA); CCDFS Department of Family Services (CCDFS), nonstate
entity, and WestCare Foundation (CCDFS non-profit community provider) to address methamphetamine abuse and
its impact on child welfare in CCDFS Nevada. More information on this initiative is presented in Item 35: Service Array.
A third initiative supported by CIP is the Child’s Attorneys Project (CAP) Pro Bono Lawyer and Surrogate Education
Advocacy program. The Grantee for this program is the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. The purpose of this
project is twofold: (1) to assist Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada (LACSN) in providing representation for abused and
neglected children by enhancing recruitment and training for the volunteer lawyers; and (2) to assist LACSN in providing
educational surrogates, pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA), 20 USC Section 1415
(b)(2)(A), by enhancing recruitment and training of volunteers. The LACSN Pro Bono Project recruits and trains private
lawyers to represent child victims of abuse and neglect. LACSN provides CLE, training manuals, and bi-monthly support
luncheons for volunteers. Additionally, an LACSN CAP Staff Attorney is assigned as a mentor on each case. The Pro
Bono Project met its stated goal of recruiting and training more lawyers to represent these children. During the first year of
the grant, 103 new CAP cases were assigned to pro bono volunteers, which are up significantly from the 64 cases that
were placed during the same period a year earlier. Additionally, 29 of the new volunteers recruited to the Project during
the grant period got involved to take CAP cases. This is triple the 10 new volunteers recruited to the Project who accepted
CAP cases during the same period a year earlier. Approximately 25 attorneys attended the 3-hour CLE training programs
LACSN offered on "Representing Child Victims of Abuse and Neglect" in both October and May. In the year prior to the
grant period, LACSN only offered one such training and taught about 13 volunteers.
The biggest barrier faced by this Project is providing an attorney for every child. At the present time, attorneys are
assisting approximately one-third of the children in the dependency system. Because the courts are convinced that an
attorney for a child makes a difference in the outcome, i.e., quicker resolution of the case or expedited services for the
child, the Court is referring more children to LACSN than it can handle. LACSN is attempting to secure additional funding
for staff attorneys and additional pro bono attorneys to assist. Second year funding was provided to LACSN for calendar
year 2010.
The LACSN Educational Surrogate Program recruits and trains volunteers who will act on behalf of the children living in
group homes or institutional settings, advocating when necessary, with regard to special education services. In addition to
running the Educational Surrogate Program, the LACSN Special Education Program provides support and assistance
regarding special education issues to CAP Staff Attorneys and CAP Pro Bono Volunteers. DFS and DCFS social workers,
Nevada APSR – SFY 2010
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