More trouble hits foster kid plan

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Wednesday, May 12, 2004 | 9:40 a.m.

After months of bureaucratic battles to free up more than a million dollars to help youths no longer in the state's care, a Las Vegas group charged with planning how to spend the money has hit another delay.

The issue: Would spending some of the state's $1.3 million on new employees to aid the former foster children with their transition to adult life be the best use of the funds?

The Independent Living Committee, made up of private and public agencies that work with youth, will meet Thursday to try to hash out the concerns. The latest issue stems from a proposal the committee sent to the state last month. The proposal was to spend the money on health care and housing for youths formerly in the foster care system.

The concerns revolve around the committee's plan to hire four full-time mentors for youths at salaries of up to $35,000 each along with one housing specialist at the same salary.

Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas -- one of the original sponsors of the 2001 bill that created the funding and a member of the Legislative Comittee on Children, Youth and Families -- said she is "seeking clarification about whether the intent of the legislation is to spend money on kids or on creating a social services delivery system for kids."

In other words, how much of the money should go to pay people's salaries, and how much should go straight to the 100 or so youths that turn 18 and "age out" of Southern Nevada's foster care system each year?

Repeated calls seeking comment from Jone Bosworth, administrator for the Nevada Division of Children, Youth and Families -- the state agency that oversees the funds -- and Rebecca Richard-Maley, state foster care specialist, were not returned Tuesday.

Bosworth's agency would have to approve the Independent Living Committee's plan before the money could be spent.

The lingering question is only the latest obstacle in a process that has taken several years, as legislators -- Buckley included -- and nonprofit advocates for youth grew frustrated with what they said was inefficient handling of the funds created by the 2001 Legislature.

The Sun revealed in January that about 90 percent of nearly $2.1 million was unused at the end of 2003, and the state finally released $1.3 million in March.

Susan Klein-Rothschild, director of the Department of Family Services -- the agency that passes the money through to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, the nonprofit agency that helps the youths -- said she hopes the issue can be resolved quickly.

"I don't want there to be any more hold-ups," she said Tuesday. "I want to go ahead and use these funds." Klein-Rothschild sits on the committee meeting Thursday, which was also created by the 2001 bill.

Buckley said she likes the idea of the mentors and had little information about the housing specialist, but was concerned about "spending money creating needless bureaucracy."

Kathleen Boutin, director of the partnership, said that the positions were needed to reach what she called "phase two" in administering the funds.

The first phase, she said, has been dedicated to making sure the youths had food and clothes. Now, they need help obtaining housing and health care.

The money to help the youths comes from filing and copying fees levied by recorders throughout the state. The state disburses it to different counties that in turn disburses it to nonprofit groups.

A study conducted by Clark County Manager Thom Reilly when he was still an associate professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, found that many teens who leave the state's care wind up on the streets and in trouble with the law.

"Way too many of these youths are ending up homeless -- we need to implement the plan as soon as possible," Klein-Rothschild said.