New child welfare contract OK’d
A new contract with the state for the provision of child welfare services was approved Tuesday by Clark County commissioners.
Action on the contract was delayed in November, when it appeared that state funding for child welfare services was going to be reduced by 5 percent. Commissioners refused to act on the agreement because the potential budget cuts jeopardized the county's ability to hire additional staff and meet federal and state improvement goals.
Assistant Clark County Manager Darryl Martin told commissioners that although Gov. Jim Gibbons has since exempted child welfare from state budget reductions, services to foster children are still not fully certain. Funding for mental health services and other programs outside the child welfare budget may yet be cut.
"We still need to be very cautious with this moving forward," Martin said.
County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said the potential loss of support services to foster children is unfortunate.
The anticipated budget cuts, brought on by a shortfall in projected tax revenues, are expected to exceed $285 million. Clark County's child welfare budget includes $55.5 million in state funds.
The contract makes Clark County responsible for paying federal penalties if it's responsible for making the state fall below federal child welfare standards. It also frees the county to hire additional child welfare related staff. The Legislature approved 85 new child welfare positions earlier this year.
Clark County Director of Family Services Tom Morton said he will move to fill open state-funded positions as soon as the state Board of Examiners approves the contract later this month.
