Officials: Budget cuts threaten state’s child welfare system

By Cy Ryan

Friday, March 4, 2011 | 2:49 p.m.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval’s slimmed-down budget for the state to care for needy children has been assailed by critics as endangering the public and lowering treatment for the mental health needs of youth.

“This is not something we can live with,” said Assemblywoman April Mastroluca, chairwoman of a legislative subcommittee that conducted a 3 1/2-hour hearing Friday on the budget of the state Division of Child and Family Services.

She compared it to a giant colander with holes in both ends and children falling out both sides.

Diane Comeaux, administrator of the state Division of Youth and Family Services, outlined the governor’s budget, admitting it was cutting back on grants and shifting functions to counties.

The division estimates the cutbacks to counties at nearly $26 million over the next two fiscal years. Clark County would lose $14.8 million in state general funds.

These reductions would come from block grants to counties, and elimination of support for county juvenile camps, youth parole services and treatment.

Tom Morton, of Clark County Family Services, said his agency would lose $11 million from the state and federal government under the proposed budget. He complained that the state was reducing its contribution, but expecting improvements in the system.

Some of the harshest criticism centered on proposed cutbacks in the juvenile justice system and reductions in funds to youth camps, where juvenile offenders are sent instead of committing them to reformatories in Elko for boys and Caliente for girls.

District Judge David Gamble of Douglas County said it was better to treat the youngsters in youth camps rather then sending them to Elko or Caliente.

Gamble and Carey Stewart, director of juvenile services in Washoe County, outlined a program to close 110 beds at the reformatories and send the $8.7 million saved to the state's counties for treatment programs. Stewart said this was a plan approved Thursday in a meeting of juvenile officials and judges.

But District Judge William Voy of Clark County dissented, questioning how he would deal with youth who need to be in a reformatory in Elko and Caliente. He called it a “matter of public safety” by keeping offenders in Clark County when they need other treatment.

He said there isn't enough room in local detention facilities and he would have to send more juveniles into the adult criminal system. He called the Sandoval budget “tragic” and said it would set juvenile services back 30 years.

Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, called the Sandoval budget “one of the worst I have seen," adding “the Legislature cannot pass this budget. It is not acceptable and it puts everybody at risk.”

Both Leslie and Mastroluca, D-Las Vegas, said counties and the state are going to have to come up with an acceptable solution.

Jeff Fontaine, of the Nevada Association of Counties, said this is a case of the governor shifting state duties to counties. So far, he said, $325 million is proposed to be shoved onto county governments from the state over the next two fiscal years.