Lawmakers question Guinn plan for family resource coordinator

Siobahn McDonough

Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2001 | 9:16 a.m.

CARSON CITY, Nev. - Nevada legislators questioned Tuesday whether Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposal to establish a family resource coordinator's slot in his office would be a waste of money and take power away from local governments.

"The question is, do we really need an administrator in one office that's not connected with the local governments?" Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, said during an Assembly Ways and Means hearing.

"The system is set up to allow local government to work with these groups because they best know what they're dealing with," she said.

Family resource centers help people within a community get information and referrals on family issues. The program was established three sessions ago.

"It's a godsend. It connects families with all available resources," said Assemblywoman Marcia de Braga, D-Fallon.

Panel members urged the governor to go to any one of the 40 family resource centers around the state and ask about needed improvements - rather than creating a position within his office to look for gaps and inefficiencies.

The family resource coordinator is one of seven new positions proposed by the governor, who wants to improve the delivery of services.

"All they need to do is talk to the people at the family resource centers and they'll find out the gaps," said Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, who opposed adding a purely administrative position within the governor's office.

"We don't have that much money going to families as it is. We've got to make sure we're spending the money well," she said, adding that more funding would help improve programs such as the family resource centers and family-to-family program.

The family-to-family program, created two sessions ago at the urging of then-Gov. Bob Miller, is an outreach program for parents of newborns, offering them parenting advice and other information.

"A person in Carson City giving someone in Battle Mountain a phone number isn't going to help them," Leslie said. "It's not just about phone numbers. It's about navigating them through the available resources. They need to be right there."

"It's ridiculous. The governor is thinking correctly but hasn't translated it well," she added.

Don Hataway, deputy budget director, tried to make a distinction between coordinator and administrator.

"We're talking about a coordinator. There is a myriad of resources. The goal is to get an arm around the total delivery system and make sense of it all," Hataway said. "We never track how the agencies use their funds."

The family resources coordinator would develop a plan to fine-tune services that are available and deliver them more efficiently, Hataway said.

"The governor is tired of reading about how the state is at the bottom or top of the scale in terms of services for families," Hataway said.

Assemblyman Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, remained open to adding a family resources coordinator.

"There is a need to coordinate services. We haven't seen enough yet," he said of the governor's proposal. "Is the general direction reasonable? Probably so."