Letter: Gov. O’Callaghan benefited many neglected kids

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 | 9:01 a.m.

I, too, am another person whose life has been blessed by knowing Mike O'Callaghan. He was governor for eight of the more than 20 years I worked at the Southern Nevada Children's Home in Boulder City. For those unfamiliar with SNCH, it was a long-term residential home for abused and neglected children and was run under the auspices of the state of Nevada. It was closed in December 1993 due to state budget cuts.

When the Children's Home was still open, I often received calls from the governor, both when he was in and out of office, checking on the kids and to see if they needed anything. As busy as he was, every year the Legislature met, he made sure that the kids received raises in their allowances.

Gov. O'Callaghan waged a mighty campaign to save the Children's Home from closure. He lobbied the Legislature and the then-governor to keep it open, but it was one of the few battles he lost. Years after it was closed he would still refer to the Children's Home in his Where I Stand column and bemoan the fact that the doors of this great program for very vulnerable kids had been closed.

A couple of weeks before his death, I called Gov. O'Callaghan to ask for his assistance in getting the word out about a SNCH reunion, which is planned for April 16-17 at the former SNCH campus. As always, he answered his own phone and was glad to hear from me and was happy to help out with the reunion. True to his word, he included information about the SNCH in one of his columns and also made sure there was a feature article in a recent issue of the Boulder City News.

I want to pay tribute to this "larger than life" man who I know cared deeply about the plight of abused and neglected children. I will always admire him for the immovable stance he took in trying to keep the Children's Home open despite strong political opposition to the contrary.

I wish Gov. O'Callaghan could hear the words of the now adults who are returning to Boulder City to attend the reunion. They talk about how "the home" was the best thing that ever happened to them. One man recently told me, "My sister and I had been in eight foster homes before we were placed at the Children's Home. God had His hand on us when we were placed at the home."

Because of Gov. O'Callaghan's unwavering support, thousands of battered and broken kids had a safe place to grow up.

PEGGY LEAVITT

Editor's note: Peggy Leavitt is the former superintendent of the Southern Nevada Children's Home.