State plans to raise payments to foster parents by 47 percent

Monday, May 21, 2001 | 11:16 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- State payments to some 800 foster parents will jump by an estimated 47 percent starting July 1, under plans adopted by the budget committees of the Legislature.

The Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee have adopted Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposal to boost those payments and to increase grants to parents who adopt special needs children.

"We've been in the lower third tier in the nation, and we jump into the top third tier in the nation in one swoop," said Steve Shaw, director of the state Division of Child and Family Services.

Foster parents who now receive $12 a day for a child up to 12 years old placed in their care by the state will get $18.22. For children 13 and over, the rate will go from $14.40 to $20.57.

Foster parents who later adopt the child will be eligible for the same payments, if they want. Shaw said about 60 percent of the foster parents end up adopting the child.

But he said 25 percent of those who adopt the child don't apply for the continued assistance.

In addition, couples who adopt a special needs child will receive the same rate increase as foster parents.

The increased rates will cost the state about $14 million over the next two years.

The action on the new rates came as the Senate and Assembly committees, in different meetings, approved a budget of about $294 million for the Child and Family Services Division over the next two years. The budget would increase about 9 percent in each of the years.

The two committees were able to shave $2.6 million in state money out of the governor's budget but replaced part of that money with federal funds.

The committees approved nine new staff members for the Desert Willow Treatment Center, which takes care of troubled youth in Las Vegas.

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, said recent surveys by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the state Health Division indicated there were insufficient workers.

"Uncorrected, this could lead to loss of Medicaid certification and the inability to collect Medicaid funds," said Giunchigliani, who headed the subcommittee.

The committees also told the division it wants the family learning homes for youngsters in Las Vegas cleaned up. These homes are near the Southern Nevada Mental Adult Services campus.

Giunchigliani said only four of the seven homes are open. "Additionally, potentially harmful mold has been found in five of the homes," she said.

The division was directed to report quarterly to the Interim Finance Committee on the homes' staffing and what efforts were being made to correct the mold problem.

There was no decision by the two committees on a plan to turn over such programs as foster parents and adoptions to Clark and Washoe counties. But a subcommittee studying the problem has indicated it will approve the plan, which would be delayed six months to save the state $8 million.