In many cases, there's no way of knowing whether a foster parent applicant was found liable in civil court for abuse or neglect in another state because no national registry exists. Nevada often has to rely on the truthfulness of the applicant because many states, guarded by their own privacy laws, are reluctant to share such information if no criminal charge was filed. Clark and Washoe counties are the only political jurisdictions in the United States where county and state governments run separate portions of the child protective system. In all other parts of Nevada and in 36 other states, the state runs the entire system. No one interviewed by the SUN thinks the local bifurcated system is a good idea.
Critics say there are communication gaps from the time the county passes a child to the state.
As a result, children aren't getting the continuity of attention they might receive if one level of government ran the entire system. At least 70 percent of all children taken from local homes have at least one parent who abuses drugs or alcohol. Yet there's a severe shortage of affordable substance abuse treatment programs in the county. There's only one treatment facility for mothers who wish to remain with their children. The Healthy Families Project has room for eight adults, but has a waiting list triple its capacity.