Regina Williams, right, shares a laugh Thursday with Cristine Lindholm at an event to announce Camp to Belong will return to Nevada after a nine-year absence. Williams, who was separated from her eight brothers in 2004, attended a similar camp, which unites siblings living apart for a week, in another state. Lindholm will be the volunteer director of Nevada's camp. Photo by Craig L. Moran.

With her mom gone and dad incarcerated, Regina Williams was separated from her eight brothers and taken to Child Haven on June 3, 2004.

The nine children were placed in different foster homes and Williams, now 15, hadn't seen her two youngest brothers in more than a year.

Then she went to Colorado to be reunited with her brothers at Camp to Belong.

"We fought like always, but we were there to support each other like we always do, and we expressed our love for each other," she said.

At the time they went to camp to make pillows, rock climb and share memories, the family was split among four different houses. Now, it's only three different homes.

As her cousin watched with proud tears in her eyes, Williams spoke to the media Thursday at Family Court to announce Camp to Belong's return to Nevada this summer after a nine-year absence.

"They just feel like normal kids for a change," said Cristine Lindholm, the camp's volunteer director and a volunteer, court-appointed special advocate for Williams. "The best-case scenario, they (the Williams siblings) get together once a month and it's a scheduled visit. Oftentimes, they're surrounded by their case workers."

The week-long summer camp started at UNLV in 1995. But after two summers the founder, Lynn Price, moved to Colorado and moved the camp there.

Camp to Belong now takes place in seven states to reunite children from across the nation. The organization estimates 75 percent of children nationwide who are removed from abusive homes are separated from siblings.

In Clark County, at least 3,000 children are in the foster system, Lindholm said.

The county Division of Family Services has identified 200 children who could attend the camp, which will be held at Pathfinder Ranch, a lakeside camp on the border of the San Bernardino National Forest.

The camp has only 100 spaces, however, and the organization needs to raise about $125,000 to fund a week's stay for 100 kids. They've already raised about $65,000.

Camp to Belong is also looking for about 50 volunteers to attend the camp, July 8 through July 15. The children will arrive July 10. For more information go to www.camptobelong.org.

Last legislative session, the governor signed a law encouraging abused children in out-of-home placement to be housed with siblings. It also required child welfare services to report information to the court about the placement of a child's siblings.