State inspectors find foster children living in unhealthy conditions

By Cy Ryan

Monday, Oct. 17, 2011 | 2:44 p.m.

A foster care home in Clark County, under the supervision of the non-profit Eagle Quest of Nevada, failed to meet the minimum safety and health standards for the six children living in the home, according to a legislative review.

The unannounced visit in March found unsecured flammable liquid, sharp knives, a dirty kitchen, overflowing garbage cans, filthy bathroom sinks with standing dirty water used by the foster children, non-nutritious foods and neither of the foster parents at home.

The children were removed almost immediately to another home.

This was the most serious condition found in surprise inspections by the legislative auditors of six governmental and private facilities for children. The report was presented to the Legislative Audit Subcommittee today.

Auditor Sandra McGuirk said Clark County was immediately notified of the conditions. Clark County officials said they immediately suspended their license.

Dave Doyle, director of operations for Eagle Quest, said he transferred the children to other homes and the nonprofit agency shut down the home. Eagle Quest recruits foster parents and has an average of 38 homes in which it places children.

The review said Eagle Quest "has not established a process to monitor foster parents to help ensure safe living conditions for youth."

Doyle said Eagle Quest was unaware of the unsanitary conditions and has since made changes. He said the mother, who was "the rock of the home‰"had been transferred to a hospital emergency room before the inspection.

Doyle also said significant changes have been made by Eagle Quest since the legislative review.

The report said Eagle Quest had a policy requiring periodic visits to examine the homes, but this home had not been inspected for six months. And it said the agency staff, when making these visits, "do not always enter or observe areas of the home other than an assigned meeting area."

In the six homes that were inspected statewide, the review said there was a lack of control over the medications to be administered to the youth. There was poor documentation and the children did not receive medications timely at three of the six facilities.

The review said there was missing evidence of physicians‚ orders at four of six facilities and missing medication administration records at four of six facilities.

Required background checks were not made at some of the facilities before hiring employee. In one case an employee continued working for two years after documents were received by the facility that the individual had a conviction for possession and trafficking of drugs.

The legislative report said it recommended in December 2010 that the facilities train workers in medication management. But by seven months later only 26 percent of the employees had received this training.

Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, and chairwoman of the audit subcommittee, said a bill was introduced in the 2011 Legislature to require this training. But she said it was watered down because of complaints by the operators that it was too expensive.