Program aims at keeping siblings in touch

Malia Spencer

Friday, Aug. 29, 2003 | 4:29 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION: August 30, 2003

Stephanie Holland, a Las Vegas clinical psychologist, was frustrated by the foster care system in which many of her young clients lived in. More than 2,700 children live within the Nevada system, many of whom are separated from their siblings, and Holland saw that as a problem.

As a remedy Holland and Gloria Bernal, a licensed social worker, in 2001 created Child Focus, a nonprofit organization, dedicated to improving the existing foster care system.

"I became increasingly frustrated with the lack of resources they had." Holland said. "We are providing awareness and support."

Holland said Child Focus members hope to start successful programs that in turn will influence legislative decisions about the foster care system.

Bernal said she sees many flaws in the current system and wants the group to highlight them so improvements can be made.

"I think it's really important," she said. "Especially in Southern Nevada, because we have such a high rate of children in foster care."

One of Child Focus' programs, called K.I.D.S. -- (Keeping Intact Displaced Siblings), is unique because it is designed to keep children in contact with their siblings, Holland said.

When children are removed from the home, Bernal said, children can end up all over the map.

"Its like a bomb explodes. Everyone goes everywhere," she said.

Child Focus works with the Division of Child and Family Services and individual caseworkers, who are often overburdened, to keep track of siblings, Holland said.

"They don't have the support needed to really take care of the kids," Bernal said.

Caseworkers in the Division of Child and Family Services often handle an average of 45 cases each, Stuart Fredlund, child welfare program manager, said. He said some standards suggest that workers should average 22 cases.

"Caseloads are too high to provide the level of service that should be provided," he said. "They are carrying a heavy workload."

To keep siblings in touch with one another, Child Focus is planning to hold quarterly activities such as bowling or pool parties, Holland said.

Tammy Huff, a member of Child Focus for almost two years, said separating siblings can add to an already bad situation.

"They're already traumatized as it is," she said. "And research has shown that sometimes the sibling bond is stronger than the parent-child bond."

She hopes the K.I.D.S. program willhelp preserve and strengthen that bond.

Initially, Child Focus officials wanted K.I.D.S. to consist of three homes that would house six children. The group wanted to show the state the benefits of keeping siblings together, Holland said. But the expense of such a program resulted in a change to the K.I.D.S. format.

The main goal of keeping siblings in touch is still the same.

Holland said displaced siblings she has worked with displayed higher instances of behavioral and emotional problems than children who were kept with siblings.

"Children with their siblings experience emotional stability, a sense of belonging and higher self confidence," Holland said.

Huff, a grant writer for Child Focus, said the group hopes to have the sibling programs running in early 2004. She said the sibling events are going to take a lot of money, so other less expensive projects, such as an academic tutoring program, need to be in place before the group can receive needed grant funding.

"It's a vicious cycle," she said. "You need money to get programs and programs to get money."

The group hopes to provide not only the entertainment for the children but also the transportation to the event, in order to diminish any inconvenience to the foster family.

Holland, who has worked with children in the foster system since 1996, said 60 percent of siblings in foster care in Nevada are separated and many are never reunited. After their stay in the foster care system, they may be adopted by families in different areas, she said.

Children are placed in foster homes depending on age, needs and space availability, she said. She and other members of Child Focus hope that strategy can someday be adjusted.

"We wanted the system to be designed for children," not for state licensing logistics, she said.

Huff said she thought the state has also begun to recognize the problem of separating siblings. She said they will never have all siblings together, but Child Focus is hoping to at least provide some support.

Fredlund, who has worked in child welfare for 25 years, said it is the primary goal of the Division of Child and Family Services to keep siblings intact.

"It's our philosophy to keep siblings together whenever possible," he said.

Children are separated largely due to a lack of space or special needs of a child, he said.

"It's a challenge because there are not a lot of homes that can accommodate three or four children at a time," Fredlund said. "It's a lot easier to place one child."

He said the department welcomes the help of groups such as Child Focus.

Holland said the group is currently raising funds for its programs, seeking private donations and grants.

"We have a lot of great ideas, now we need connections and manpower," she said.

To help, call Child Focus at (702) 436-1624.