Nevada is a long way from the honor roll when it comes to the quality of services it provides to its youngest residents, according to one Clark County-based watchdog group.

The Children's Advocacy Alliance gives the state an overall grade of D-minus for its 2006 track record in child welfare issues. The grade has remained the same for the last three cycles of the alliance's report card, which is traditionally released before the start of the state's biennial legislative session.

"For me at least, the frustrating part has been the lack of executive office response to the issues," said alliance Chairman Gard Jameson, who planned to release the details of the report card this morning. "We asked Gov. (Kenny) Guinn to put together some type of committee to look at the issues raised in the report card, but he did not respond. My hope is that our new governor will."

The grades are based on data from a number of sources, including the national Kids Count report, law enforcement and other public agencies. The state earned its highest grade, a C-minus, in 2000.

The report card is peppered with failing grades in a number of categories. Nevada was given F's in prenatal care, health insurance for children, and the rate of childhood immunization.

It also earned F's in several areas of education, including school funding, the ratio of students to teachers, and the high school dropout rate.

The alliance also failed Nevada in the area of teen suicide, Jameson said, largely because of the lack of mental health services available to juveniles.

The report gave Nevada an F for the rate of drug use among teens. According to Jameson, 12 percent of Silver State high school students report having used methamphetamine. The percentage is even higher for cocaine use: 17 percent.

"The big issue here is that Nevada is in the top 20 states for income per capita," Jameson said. "But we're in the bottom 10 states when it comes to issues for children."

Government officials and politicians often say that children come first, Jameson said, but that isn't borne out in the quality or quantity of services that are made available to them.

The alliance did highlight a few bright spots. Nevada got an A-minus in physical education, largely because the state requires schools to offer it.

It gave the state a B-plus in the area of child deaths, but Jameson said that grade might be based on inaccurate information. Last year, the state found that Clark County had significantly underreported the number of child deaths that may have been related to abuse or neglect between 2001 and 2004.

In an area that assesses child abuse and neglect, the alliance gave Nevada an incomplete because reliable data was not available from state and local child welfare agencies. The grade for 2004 was an F.

"An incomplete is worse than an F," Jameson said.

Assemblyman Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, said children's issues are going to be important in the upcoming session of the state Legislature.

Education is already shaping up to be a contentious area, with Gov. Jim Gibbons planning to oppose the push from educators and individual lawmakers for funding for all-day kindergarten. Clark County Family Services is also requesting additional state funding to pay for new positions that would allow it to reduce the ratio of cases to case worker.

"I think we can always do better as a state when it comes to children," said Denis, who wants to see a copy of the report card.

"Reports like these have information that prompts people to ask questions," Denis said.