Child Focus teaches kids to fish

Jeff O'Brien/Staff

Chidren and a volunteer fish off the dock of Captain’s Cover Restaurant at The Lakes during the third annual Child Focus Fishing Event on Oct. 18. Many of the children, aged 5 to 15, had never before held a fishing rod.

By Jeff O'Brien

Friday, Oct. 24, 2008 | midnight

More than 30 foster children from throughout the Las Vegas Valley had the chance to reunite with their siblings and spend an afternoon together at the third annual Child Focus Fishing Event on Saturday.

The children, aged 5 to 15, gathered on the dock at Captain's Cove Restaurant, at 2902 Lake East Drive at The Lakes.

Some of the kids were holding a rod for the first time, including 13-year-old Anthony S. of Las Vegas and his sister, Carla.

"This is my first time ever," Anthony said. "I haven't caught anything yet though. Everybody's packed in here on the dock. I think we might be scaring away the fish."

Carla, 13, also wished she would catch something on her first time out.

"We're using catfish bait. It stinks really bad," she said.

The event was hosted by Child Focus, a Las Vegas-based organization founded in 1999 that provides support and resources for children living in foster care in Southern Nevada.

The fishing event was one of Child Focus' quarterly gatherings throughout the year called "sibling preservation events," said Kim Millholen, executive program director for Child Focus.

The group partners with national and local child welfare organizations to create a network of support. Case workers and foster parents throughout the valley provide referrals on children who would be good candidates for the sibling preservation events.

"The case workers and foster parents are a big part in bringing it all together," Millholen said.

In conjunction with the fishing event, a pet adoption and metal recycling event took place on the lawn adjacent to Captain's Cove Restaurant, giving the public an opportunity to meet potential pets and donate unwanted metal such as aluminum cans, silverware and wire hangers.

The ultimate goal of these events, Millholen said, is to preserve the sibling bond among foster children who are living in different homes.

"Even though they are separated, we want them to have a chance to preserve that bond," she said.

For privacy reasons, the last names of the children at the event were not released.

For more information about Child Focus, visit www.childfocusnv.org.

Jeff O’Brien can be reached at 990-8957 or jeff.obrien@hbcpub.com.