Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie will introduce a bill next session that would prohibit infants from being placed in shelters such as Child Haven. She'd prefer they be placed with foster families.

"The research is very clear on the topic, and the more I read, the more I think we need to keep babies, and maybe even toddlers, out of Child Haven," said Leslie, D-Reno. "I may go up to age 3. We cannot keep harming these children."

But given the current dearth of foster families, Clark County would face even greater shelter care shortages if Leslie's proposal were enacted tomorrow. Child Haven cares for about 50 babies a day in a cottage designed for 12.

Today, infants without a parking space at Child Haven are circling the shelter via hospital emergency rooms, waiting for a spot to open. Seventeen infants were being sheltered in hospital emergency rooms last month. That number continues to climb as more infants test positive at birth for exposure to illegal substances. State law requires hospitals to report the drug exposure and refer those babies to family services.

But Family Services, stretched to capacity, is turning them away. Sunrise Hospital was housing seven of the infants Monday. Other hospitals had at least three. Child Haven had 46.

Imagine if Clark County turned over more than 50 infants for "placement" in hospital emergency rooms. Where would your child or grandchild go for a broken bone or a high fever?

"This is a community that's not quite ready for that," said Marion Hancock, manager of Child and Family Services for Sunrise. "The recruitment of shelter care and foster homes is not ready for that."

Leslie said she understands her bill will present challenges, but insists "it can be done." She points to success in Washoe County and in Santa Clara County, CA. The city of San Jose has all but erased its temporary shelter backlog through an aggressive foster care campaign, according to Leslie.

Leslie, who serves as chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, said she is still exploring exactly how to get babies out of shelters where they are handled by a new mother every shift. Washoe County got babies out of its shelters by paying foster parents more than the state rate. The county also aggressively recruited foster parents.

Clark County has had one trainer and one recruiter. The County Commission recently added one of each by converting positions. Washoe County has three recruiters.

Leslie said she's amenable to phasing in the prohibition so Clark County could still place some infants at Child Haven as alternatives become available. And, she said, she has an open mind about the county's potential financial and training needs to make the change.

"The last thing I want is for this to be viewed as Washoe telling Clark what to do," Leslie said. "I'm not exactly sure what the bill's going to say, but I'm going to raise the issue."

Leslie said if Clark County takes real steps to recruit additional foster parents, "they will have no problem meeting the requirements of the bill."

"I can't believe that we can't find the people in Clark County that would be willing to open their home to babies," she said. "I'm not being Pollyanna about this. It can be done."

Medical professionals routinely remind the public that a hospital is not a good place for an infant. Child welfare officials say the same thing about congregate care.

"These kids need to be in wonderfully nurturing homes," Hancock said. "Bonding just doesn't happen in a shelter."

Hancock said she thinks a greater emphasis should be placed on finding shelter homes and training people appropriately to provide care for infants. Infants might need shelter for days, weeks or months, depending on whether the child can be reunited with his or her mother or other family members. Siblings must also be sheltered together, adding to the difficulty in placement.

Clark County's current recruitment blitz has resulted in decent interest from the community, and foster care homes are being added. But the county should make this push for foster families the default setting -- the need won't ever go away.

Tom Morton began his job as the county's director of Family Services on Monday. He said that, "philosophically, I'm in total agreement" with Leslie. "I don't think congregate care is the best place for an infant to be," Morton said.

But mandating a change would not improve capacity. Older foster children might have to leave foster care and go to Child Haven to open up space for infants if the proposal were enacted.

Morton said the county will try to increase capacity, and given his impressive track record as a child welfare advocate, he should be given a chance.

And although Leslie is in Washoe County, her proposal just might provide the nudge in the right direction to get more Clark County residents to pay attention to the problems around them.

Call 455-0181 if you're interested.

Erin Neff's column runs Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at 387-2906, or by e-mail at eneff@reviewjournal.com.