A boy celebrates his 10th birthday on Thursday at his temporary home: the gymnasium at Child Haven. Clark County commissioners are expected in July to issue requests for proposals for national agencies and providers to help recruit foster families. Photo by Craig L. Moran.

Settling into a blue plastic chair for an afternoon movie, a little boy glanced up and flashed a smile when "Mr. Lou" entered the double doors leading into Child Haven's gymnasium.

"Today's my birthday," the blond boy proudly announced to Lou Palma, manager of Clark County's shelter services. "I'm 10."

The boy celebrated the special day with a chocolate cake and 19 other children in his "cottage." Absent from the party were piles of gifts and, more importantly, family. It is a typical scene, and one that aggravates Clark County administrators who oversee the shelter for abused and neglected children.

"These kids should not be in institutions, they should be in family homes," Clark County Manager Thom Reilly said.

For months, the county has made a plea for Southern Nevada residents to open their homes to foster children. So far, the effort has not been successful.

"The community has been incredibly generous with donations," Palma said. "On the other hand, it has a hard time opening homes to foster kids."

The seven cottages on the Pecos Road campus are designed to accommodate 105 children.

On Thursday, 194 infants, children and teens crowded the facility. That number was down slightly from recent days, after some children were placed with other agencies, hospitals were asked to hold off on transferring some 50 babies and emergency foster families had reached their limit.

In all, there are 385 children in shelter homes.

The birthday boy's party was held in the gym, his home. Child Haven staff members had no choice but to begin lining beds and cots up below one of the basketball hoops, officials said. Cottage rooms designed to fit two beds now have up to nine.

"It breaks our heart to have to expand into another room," Palma said, glancing at a big-screen television set that sits under another basketball hoop.

In an attempt to reduce the population at Child Haven, Clark County commissioners are expected in July to issue requests for proposals for national agencies and providers to help recruit foster families, provide care to medically fragile children and assist in placing siblings.

"We need to get kids in homes," Assistant County Manager Daryl Martin said of the county's latest effort.

County administrators said that until bids begin to filter in, it is unclear how much the contracts will cost the county.

"We're going to notify the board we're going to do this; we have no choice," Reilly said. "There will be a price tag. It may involve startup costs to attract organizations to set up shop here."

One of the greatest challenges is finding homes for siblings, who under state law must be kept together. About two-thirds of Child Haven's population includes brothers and sisters, Palma said. During Memorial Day weekend, the facility took in 10 siblings who had been abandoned by their parents.

"We have issues when you have a sibling group of 10," Martin said. "Most foster parents want one child."

The county hopes to sign contracts with an agency that will help train potential foster parents and a medical care facility to take in children with special needs. Reilly said he hopes the organizations will assist the county in opening up foster homes.

"Is it that we can't recruit homes or is it that we're not doing it right?" Reilly said.

Child Haven typically exceeds its $9 million annual budget by $2 million. The bulk of the overruns are because of food costs and overtime. On any given day, a handful of employees are working double shifts.

About three years ago, Palma noticed a change in the type and number of children that Child Haven was accepting.

"At the time, our thought was this will be a peak in front of a valley," he said, "but they just kept coming and coming and coming."

Theories differ on why Child Haven is overcrowded. Some blame the county's ever-growing population, others claim that an increase in methamphetamine use has contributed to the number of neglected and abandoned children.

"It just keeps climbing and we can't say why," Palma said. "I feel bad for the kids and I feel bad for the staff."

When the trend began, Child Haven was a facility to hold children during emergency situations. It was the state's responsibility to handle long-term foster care. But in 2004, the Legislature shifted those responsibilities to the county.

"We assumed foster care and the adoption program," Reilly said. "On top of that, we've had this meth issue and a 30 percent increase (in children brought to Child Haven). We're still trying to get a handle on why we are seeing such an increase in the amount of kids coming in."