District Court costs on table in swap for child welfare

Adrienne Packer

Monday, April 15, 2002 | 9:54 a.m.

Searching for ways to offset the cost of taking over the child welfare system, Clark County administrators are considering transferring the operation of District Court or long-term care services to the state.

A legislative committee made up of lawmakers who approved the transfer of child welfare services from the state to Washoe and Clark counties during their last session, will meet April 22 to review the county's proposals.

Clark County Manager Thom Reilly said transferring a county service to the state is more promising than asking the Legislature for more funds to support the child welfare program, which is expected to cost $25 million annually.

"Funding is obviously the issue," Reilly said last week. "My fear quite frankly is that the state gives (child welfare) to us and says we don't have the money to help."

Reilly said the cost to operate District Court and pay clerks and assistants is close to the amount needed to run child welfare services.

The exchange would benefit the state, too, Reilly said. Unlike the child welfare system, in which costs are uncapped because of the unknown number of children needed to be served year to year, District Court has a set budget.

Rick Loop, assistant court administrator, said the proposal is a relatively new idea and hasn't been fully considered.

"To tell you the truth, we haven't really discussed it," Loop said. "It's kind of an idea that's been floated. I don't know that we have a position at this time."

The cost to operate District Court is about $25 million annually, but about $9.5 million is recovered through fines and clerks fees, Susan Laveway, the county's assistant finance director, said.

Operating the Social Services Department's long-term care program for senior citizens costs between $14 million and $18 million, Laveway said. Transferring long-term care to the state is the most probable scenario, county officials said.

The county's finance division is preparing a presentation for the legislative committee outlining what administrators believe the total cost will be to run the child welfare system.

"The first thing is to try to project out the cost of services the state is looking to transfer," Laveway said. "What we're trying gauge is the cost related to the county when the program is fully implemented in the county."

The county currently oversees Child Protective Services and Child Haven -- a children's shelter -- and the state handles adoptions and foster care.

The state runs the entire system in 15 rural counties. In the other 49 states, child welfare is run entirely by either the state or the county.

Critics of Nevada's split system say the process has caused undue delays in coming up with permanent plans for foster children. The county and state bounce children back and forth; each time new social workers must familiarize themselves with the cases, further delaying the process.

The county on July 1 will create a Department of Family Services, which will handle child welfare. The Department of Family and Youth Services will oversee juvenile justice programs.

The child welfare division is expected to be fully implemented in the county by 2004.