Where I Stand — Cynthia Cortez-Musgrove: Improving kids’ lives

Sunday, Aug. 6, 2000 | 9:13 a.m.

Editor's note: In August Where I Stand is written by guest columnists. Today's guest, Cynthia Cortez-Musgrove, is a board member of the Children's Advocacy Alliance."

The more people have studied different methods of bringing up children, the more they have come to the conclusion that what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is the best after all." -- Benjamin Spock, "The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care" (1946)

The real world for many children does not always include "good" mothers and fathers. For those unfortunate children, their world is surrounded by abuse and neglect, which oftentimes results in death. Without the help of others willing to care, nurture, love and provide for these children, their opportunities to succeed and become a productive part of society would be limited. This is easier said than done, however, because the most difficult part of helping these children is educating the public and the lawmakers that these children exist.

I have been involved in the field of child services for the last 16 years, beginning with the Home of the Good Shepherd, a home for adolescent girls, to most recently attempting to keep open the Southern Nevada Children's Home. The closing of both of these homes brought to light a very important issue, which is that abused and neglected children in Nevada have no face and no voice within the eyes of our state legislators. Neither one of these programs was replaced with new programs, they were simply cut from the lives of Nevada's abused and neglected children.

Over 1,500 children currently survive in our state foster care system. As a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), I am able to witness firsthand how these children's lives are forever changed by our courts and not always for the better. For instance, Katie (not her real name) was 4 years old when first placed in foster care. She was loved and safe in this family. Her biological family did not see her on a regular basis but they took the minimum steps necessary to complete their case plan. After two years, Katie had to appear before the Foster Care Review board. At this appearance, Katie had to tell the judge what she wanted for her life.

Katie expressed her desire to remain with her foster family because she loved them. Others agreed that it was in her best interest to remain with her current foster family. The judge, however, did not see it that way and she was sent home. From this, Katie learned that her desires did not matter, because she had to follow the courts' orders, even if those orders were not in her best interest. Within two months, Katie returned to foster care after being physically abused in her biological home. Katie is now 9 years old, has been in two failed adoptions and has been in the foster care system for five years.

Katie's story is one example of the problems facing Nevada's foster care and court system. In response to these problems, a group of private citizens in Nevada formed the Children's Advocacy Alliance in 1997, with one common goal, of improving the quality of life for children like Katie, who are victims of abuse and neglect. Since that time the Children's Advocacy Alliance has worked hand in hand with state and local agencies to improve the state of our foster care system. The alliance's first major event included helping Child Haven to raise funds for its new buildings. The SAINT building on the Child Haven campus is now almost complete and will be used as a safe, nonthreatening environment for investigating allegations of abuse and neglect.

In the spring of 1999 the Children's Advocacy Alliance brought together essential foster care decision-makers to work as a team to address child foster care issues and affect change in the current system. Problems identified include: funding, education, communication between agencies, and training and recruitment of foster parents. From this frank discussion came the "Foster Care Millennial Initiative," a plan recommending a unified child welfare system. This plan was then presented and submitted to state Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley's Subcommittee on the Bifurcated Child Welfare System. The subcommittee accepted this plan and will continue to work with the alliance on its development.

The Children's Advocacy Alliance continues to work toward its mission to improve the quality of life for children who are the victims of abuse and neglect. The problems which exist in foster care are enormous, but by taking one step at a time, the problems can be alleviated. That is the goal of the Children's Advocacy Alliance. To the state and local lawmakers, the alliance is here to stay and will be putting faces and voices to Nevada's abused and neglected children so their needs are met and they are no longer passed over.