Children’s advocates call for openness

David Kihara

Thursday, April 6, 2006 | 6:49 a.m.

A court's decision this week to open records on child deaths doesn't go far enough, child advocates said.

Federal law allows more disclosure, and District Judge Douglas Herndon's ruling will still leave many records sealed, according to advocates.

"I think all the information should be released," Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said. "I don't see any reason to keep this information confidential. I would like to see it go further."

On Tuesday Herndon said that certain information on child deaths and near deaths could be released to the public.

Clark County currently releases minimal information, and Herndon ruled that it could release the birth and death dates and some information about the circumstances.

Elizabeth Vibert, chief deputy district attorney, said the county will also be able to release the cause of the child's death, whether the child welfare system had been involved with the family and whether child protective services had a case, and the reason if that case was closed.

The county sought clarity on the law from the court after requests for information came in a few high-profile incidents in which government agencies had worked with the child who died.

In one case a 2-year-old girl, Adecelli Snyder, died from malnutrition and neglect. Child protective services had closed a case on the family about a year before the girl was found dead.

Metro Police are investigating the death of a 6-month-old girl who was found dead on Sunday. The girl's family had been the subject of a previous child protective services investigation, law enforcement and social service sources said.

More than 230 children who were known to the child welfare system died in Clark County between 2001 and 2004, according to state records.

County officials praised Herndon's order.

"The more information we can put out, the better," said Darryl Martin, assistant county manager. "It has always been the county manager and the county's position that we want to give out as much information as possible."

Buckley, however, is working on legislation that would open all child death records to the public. She said she will work with attorneys from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department because the county and state have alleged that federal laws prohibit detailed information on child deaths from being released.

Donna Coleman of the Washington-based Demanding Justice for America's Children and a longtime critic of the county's child welfare services said the court's order will hold the people who are responsible for these children accountable.

But she said more openness is still needed.

"I still believe it will take another court, and perhaps even the Legislature, to fully enforce this action," she said.