Growth threatens safe haven

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006 | 12:34 p.m.

Child Haven is known throughout the valley as a refuge for children placed in protective custody.

But for at least the last year, those children have had to live alongside "tougher, more streetwise kids" who have occasionally bullied Child Haven children, Family Court Judge Gerald Hardcastle says.

The tougher kids are sent to Child Haven because Clark County has nowhere else to send them, Hardcastle and county officials say. The children have typically served time in a juvenile detention facility. Once released, they can't go home because either their home environment is unsafe or they have been abandoned.

County officials said they do not want to put Child Haven children at any risk, but noted that the county is responsible for acting in the best interest of all youths in its care.

"That is not the intended purpose of the facility," Hardcastle said. "The problem is, there is a gap between what they deal with (at Child Haven) and what the delinquent system will accept, so these kids are hard to place."

Hardcastle recognizes these children can sometimes create a more hostile environment for others at Child Haven.

"We had some of these children working together and terrorizing the other kids," Hardcastle said. "A couple were sent to a detention facility, but they don't fit our criteria and were sent back to Child Haven."

In spite of the problems, county Family Services Director Susan Klein-Rothschild maintains that the shelter remains a safe place. Her division oversees Child Haven.

Klein-Rothschild points out that the facility is subject to regular inspections by the county health and fire departments. She said the facility will also bring in law enforcement whenever necessary.

"If we have a child in danger, we notify the authorities, which we have done in a number of cases," she said.

The shelter was designed as a temporary way station with a homelike atmosphere for abused, neglected or abandoned children.

Friction at the shelter has grown worse over the last year or more as the Child Haven population has risen, creating crowded conditions, Hardcastle said.

"Child Haven is increasingly overutilized as a shelter, and that is causing the problem," he said. "It doesn't take a lot of kids acting out to cause trouble."

Child advocates said this week they were angry that Child Haven children could be targeted by bullies.

"These kids have been subjected to horrible abuse and neglect, and they shouldn't have to endure more," said Gard Jameson, chairman of the Children's Advocacy Alliance. "This is a place they are supposed to feel safe."

Jameson does not think children who have been exposed to the juvenile justice system should be excluded from Child Haven. He does, however, think a more rigorous screening process is necessary.

Hardcastle pointed out that all of the children assigned to Child Haven, even those with previous exposure to the juvenile justice system, are wards of the county. As such, they are all entitled to equal care and protection.

Klein-Rothschild said that in determining placement, each case must be looked at individually.

"We have to ask ourselves where the best place is to put each child for the safety of the child and the safety of the community," she said.

Part of the problem, according to Klein-Rothschild, is that sometimes there are just no alternatives for placement.

"I think there is no doubt we need more alternatives," Klein-Rothschild said. "The terms abuse and neglect are very general, but each case is different."

In addition to the obvious cases of physical and sexual abuse, the Family Services Department must also deal with children who have medical, behavioral or mental health issues.

Many of the children suffer from more than one problem, and that can make placement even more challenging.

The Family Services Department has been criticized in the past because Child Haven is overcrowded, while other facilities have open beds. St Jude's Ranch for Children in Boulder City, which frequently gets referrals from the county department, said it has eight open beds.

"We need to hire additional staff, and we will have room for 18 to 20 more," said Eryn Rice, a spokeswoman for the facility.

Thomas Waite, president and chief executive of Girls and Boys Town of Southern Nevada, said he has had to close one home because of the drop in referrals from the county. The county might be trying to save money by placing children in foster care and other less expensive programs, he said.

"It may be cheaper now, but it will cost more later."

Klein-Rothschild said the department is working to increase the number of children it refers to St Jude's Ranch and Girls and Boys Town. She emphasizes, however, that there is more to placement than finding an open bed. The department also works with Juvenile Justice Services and other agencies to make sure the facility is adequate for the child's needs. Unlike Child Haven, St. Jude's Ranch and Girls and Boys Town are long-term residential facilities.

"We will get together and ask, 'Where does Johnny fit?' " Klein-Rothschild said. "Unfortunately, there are some Johnnys that we just don't have a good match for."

Waite admits some children need help that his organization cannot provide.

"Some children with psychological problems, that may be suicidal or homicidal, or have serious disabilities, deserve a higher level of care," he said.

He counters, however, that there are plenty of kids that would be a good fit for Girls and Boys Town who are not being referred.

"We probably have a lot more kids needing this type of care than we had in the mid-'90s when we were filled to capacity," he said. "And there are not many more facilities."

Mark Hansel can be reached at 259-4085 or at mark.hansel@lasvegassun.com.