NCJ Number
166550
Journal
Court Manager Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1996) Pages: 8-11,44-46
Date Published
1996
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article examines the process of permanency planning for foster children in Clark County, Nev.
Abstract
A 1994 review of the handling of child welfare cases in the county led to the formation of the Foster Care Review Board, composed of the juvenile court judge, child welfare staff, mental health personnel, and lay persons. Permanency planning reviews were set at 12 months rather than the customary 18 months, and a committee of judicial, administrative, and citizen representatives simultaneously reviewed the status of children in out-of-home care. The Nevada Foster Care Review system is unique in that it includes the expertise of the courts, the knowledge of agency personnel, and the benefit of citizen and community involvement. The aim for the establishment of the review board is to reduce the length of time children remain in out-of-home care and to achieve permanent placements more expeditiously. This aim is based in the belief that children's development is best served under a stable and consistent positive family influence. To increase foster parents' participation in the review process, they have been given the rights to notice of review hearings, to be heard at review hearings, and to access reports submitted to the court during the review of foster children in their care. The Clark County model presents three indicators for measurement: the length of stay in care for each child, reduction in the number of placements for each child in foster care, and compliance with "reasonable-effort" mandates through a formal, standardized review process and data collection. 21 notes