Nevada children who are jailed, institutionalized or under the supervision of child welfare agencies will have expanded legal protections and increased professional oversight if a small group of legislators is successful in the next session.

On Thursday, the legislative committee studying the health and welfare of minors in government care finalized a broad agenda of proposed bill drafts and policy recommendations that tackle the investigations of deaths of children, the placement of young children in foster care and the supervision of juveniles who've been sent to out-of-state care facilities because Nevada can't meet their needs.

"The problem is so overwhelming," said committee chairwoman and Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno. "There are so many needs in so many areas."

Leslie pushed for acceptance of a bill draft that would make it illegal to place children under the age of 6 in group shelters, such as Clark County's Child Haven. Leslie acknowledged that some child welfare agencies prefer not to see the requirement in statute, but said it's important to place the very young where they will receive individual attention.

"I know it can be done," Leslie said, adding that cities such as San Jose have been able to work with that requirement.

Leslie was supported by Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, who, as executive director for the nonprofit Clark County Legal Services, has helped wage a battle to have Clark County Family Services move all children under the age of 2 out of Child Haven and into foster homes. The effort involves assigning attorneys to infants and toddlers who will represent their interests in Family Court and expedite their placements in the most familylike setting possible.

"I'm afraid if we don't push the matter, we're just going to raise another generation of children with behavior problems because they were raised in a shelter instead of a home," said Buckley, D-Las Vegas.

Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko, backed the goal but raised concerns about how to achieve it in the face of a widely publicized foster parent shortage.

"Something needs to be done," Carpenter said. "But I don't know what we do if we don't find enough foster homes to take these children."

Buckley suggested allowing exceptions in certain circumstances, but added that action is required now if placement practices are to be changed.

"I think we need to move forward with something strong," Buckley said. "I think a child deserves a better life than to live in a shelter."

The proposed prohibition against placing young children in group shelters passed unanimously.

The committee also approved the creation of a bill draft that adds a position to the audit division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau. That position would be devoted to monitoring and evaluating agencies or entities that have court-ordered custody of children. The auditor would also have authority to disclose limited information to the public about any deaths or near-deaths of such children.

Committee members also plan to ask their fellow lawmakers to increase training requirements for all staff at Nevada facilities that have custody of children. That training would include CPR, behavior control, suicide awareness, medication administration and information on law and policy.

Other issues, such as a proposal that would allow the state to impose fines or withhold funding from child welfare agencies if those agencies violate any state and federal statutes, were dropped by committee members who did not wish to duplicate the efforts of other working groups, such as the state's Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Death Review.

The committee is seeking to heighten supervision of Nevada children in out-of-state facilities and institutions. The state already conducts site visits before approving placements, but lawmakers want to augment those visits with a system to regularly monitor the treatment or services provided to the children.