Irene Lum, child development specialist at Child Haven, Clark County's emergency shelter for juveniles, holds a 1-year-old on Thursday. One of the goals now being pursued by the county's Department of Family Services is the recruitment of more foster families to reduce the number of children housed at Child Haven. Photo by Clint Karlsen. Clark County Family Services Director Tom Morton discusses the county's child welfare system on Thursday. Photo by Clint Karlsen.

Clark County's problem-plagued Department of Family Services is seeking permission to take a $2.4 million step forward on the road to reform.

On Tuesday, the Clark County Commission will be asked to approve and fund 80 new positions within Family Services. The new jobs are aimed at addressing chronic problems related to the child abuse reporting hotline, the response to weekend and overnight service calls, the foster care program, department record-keeping and staff training.

The proposal marks the launch of the Safe Futures plan, which ultimately could be a $30 million overhaul of the local child welfare system.

The agency faces a lawsuit from a child advocacy group seeking a system-wide overhaul of how children in protective custody are treated, the deaths of children involved in open cases and, in one instance, the disappearance of a toddler while in foster care. In addition, Clark County's failure to comply with federal requirements has jeopardized funding to the state.

"A big concern in our community is whether kids are safe," said Tom Morton, family services director and architect of the Safe Futures plan. "We have to have enough staff to make that happen."

Fifty-five of the positions Morton seeks would give Child Protective Services enough staff to respond to calls for service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Currently, the department does not have staff to respond to calls between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m.

The creation of emergency response teams also will provide support to police, who often are forced to decide whether children need to be removed from their homes during crisis situations. Police removals account for two of every five children brought to Child Haven.

The new teams might reduce the number of children brought to Child Haven by placing them with other family members or foster parents, or possibly keeping them in the home, Morton said. Child Haven is the county's emergency shelter for abused or neglected children.

"We're going to attempt to get staff out in a reasonable period of time to work on-scene," Morton said, adding that he plans to work out with local police the details of response time and cooperation.

Funding for 55 of the new positions would come from the state, which has earmarked $1.64 million for the county. The money was allocated to Nevada from a federal fund called TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

When asked whether he had any concerns about creating permanent local positions using federal funds that come without a future guarantee, Morton said his understanding was that the TANF funds would be available for at least the next three years.

Morton also said Family Services must do more to utilize available federal funds. Nationally, federal funding accounts for half the annual budget of child welfare agencies. In Clark County, federal money accounts for about 33 percent of the child welfare budget.

The remaining 25 new permanent positions that Morton is seeking would focus on foster care and foster parent recruitment. Those jobs would be funded temporarily with $795,000 from the county's general fund. After June 30, the end of the county's fiscal year, the money to cover those positions would be taken from state and federal sources.

Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid said he supports the plan: "Now it's time to put our money where our mouth was. We've talked about our lofty goals. I believe that everyone in government recognizes that this is a priority for our community."

Reid also said people should realize that spending money on improving the front end of the child welfare system doesn't mean the county is losing money. The addition of clerical assistance and administrative support will help create the documentation required for the county to claim federal funds.

"We're not collecting what we could get," Reid said. "It shouldn't be looked at as an expense. It's an investment. It's an investment that, most importantly, will save children's lives."

County Commissioner Tom Collins said the proposal also has his support. "Clark County as a whole is somewhere between 800 to 900 employees short," he said. "There are shortages in every department. This is something we've needed to do for a long time."

The request Morton plans to make of Clark County commissioners won't be the last one seeking substantial financial support. The Safe Futures plan calls for the creation of at least 150 new positions within Family Services and the designation of attorneys within the special public defender's office to provide representation to indigent parents who have lost custody of their children.

Clark County Family Services Request for Additional Staff

*Includes salary and benefits
SOURCE: Clark County