Guinn mulls focus shift in program

Siobhan McDonough

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2001 | 10:10 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Moms, dads and social workers told Nevada legislators Tuesday that Gov. Kenny Guinn's budget proposal would have a devastating effect on a program for families and, ultimately, on children.

Guinn slashed 70 percent from the family-to-family program, setting aside $627,000 in his proposed budget for the statewide program that helps parents learn proper methods of dealing with newborns and targets children through their first year.

"That amount isn't going to do the job. They'll have to be shut down," said Michele Poulsen of Incline Village, a mother of a 10-month-old who uses the program. "The program can't run on that kind of money."

Human Resources Director Charlotte Crawford told an Assembly Ways and Means-Senate Finance budget subcommittee that the governor wants to "retarget" the program, restricting it to at-risk neighborhoods where family resource centers are located.

"There's a natural relationship that occurs between family-to-family and the family resource centers," Crawford told the legislators.

"The family-to-family program has met with great satisfaction and utilization," Crawford said. "But the governor made a choice that the state cannot be all things to all people."

Legislative critics said that with Guinn's plan everyone will come up short, especially in rural areas that would get only about 16 percent of the available money.

"We can't be all things to all people," said the budget panel chairwoman, Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas. "But I think we have a responsibility to help those who don't have resources and make them available."

"It's going to hurt the rurals," said Assemblyman Joe Dini, D-Yerington. "They're doing an excellent job. I think all the kids are at-risk. If we can save it, we should."

"It will be a disaster," said Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno.