Panel approves transferring child welfare to Washoe, Clark

Monday, May 7, 2001 | 10:34 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A legislative budget subcommittee has given preliminary approval to begin transferring some state child welfare services to Washoe County and, eventually, to Clark County.

But the process for Clark County could take as long as two years.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, chairman of the subcommittee, said Friday he has ordered the staff to draw the final proposal for approval.

A legislative study committee worked 18 months to develop a plan to eliminate the duplication of services involving the state and urban counties. Gov. Kenny Guinn has recommended $12.8 million for the next two years, and he has allocated $7 million for one-time costs.

During the interim, a pilot program was conducted in Washoe County that is ready to assume the duties being handled by the state. But there is a problem in Clark County because its computer is not federally certified to handle the program. As a result, it can't receive federal funding.

Rawson said Clark County officials believe the computer system will comply by April, though Rawson said most computer projects are usually delayed. "I've never seen a computer conversion process hit the target date, so we are probably talking about six months after that (in April)," he said.

Money not spent this two-year period would be spent next time.

Training will begin when the Clark County computer is up. One segment at a time will be transferred to Clark County, then "give them (Clark) six months to get functioning, and then the next one will come in," said Rawson.

There are five to eight phases of the program and Rawson said the final two or three probably won't be shifted to Clark County until sometime in 2003.

The transfer from the state to Washoe County will start immediately. It has already completed its pilot program and it is ready to go, Rawson said.

He said there won't be a pilot program in Clark County, due to some minor glitches. "We know what the problems are in developing this system now," he said.

After the subcommittee approves the plan it must then be passed by the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.