Nevada Children's Lobby Launched to Increase Oversight
New advocacy group seeks to document thousands of children currently in informal foster care arrangements.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Child Care
Live Poll
Should the state be required to document every child placed into informal foster care?
The Nevada Children's Lobby officially launched this Thursday with a goal of establishing state documentation for children in informal foster care. The organization aims to increase oversight for thousands of youth currently placed with relatives by Child Protective Services without formal legal custody.
Why it matters
Informal care arrangements often lack necessary supervision and support services, which the lobby argues leaves vulnerable children at risk of exploitation. By tracking these placements, the group hopes to prevent trafficking and ensure children are connected to state resources.
The Nevada Department of Child and Family Services reports 4,400 children in traditional foster care, while the Annie B. Casey Foundation estimates 19,000 children exist in informal arrangements. Separately, the lobby identifies 20,800 children in Clark County informal kinship care.
The players
Patricia Farley-Moore
Co-founder of the Nevada Children's Lobby and a lead advocate for state foster care policy reform.
Ali Caliendo
Co-founder of the Nevada Children's Lobby focused on increasing government oversight for informal foster placements.
Nevada Department of Child and Family Services
The state agency responsible for managing formal foster care and child protection services.
Annie B. Casey Foundation
A national organization that tracks and reports data on children in foster care and family support systems.
The details
Currently, Child Protective Services frequently directs relatives to care for children without initiating formal legal custody to manage caseloads, leaving these children outside the official child welfare system. The proposed legislation would mandate that the state document every child placed into care by the agency. The lobby intends to raise $100,000 over the next year to support these advocacy efforts and improve system transparency.
Timeline
2012: Federal child welfare block grants were capped.
Thursday: The Nevada Children's Lobby officially launched.
Next year: The organization aims to raise $100,000 in private donations.
The Home Front
The push for better tracking of informal care follows a trend of increasing reliance on kinship placements since the 2012 cap on federal child welfare block grants. This shift creates a need for new state-level documentation to replace missing oversight in the child welfare system.
Families currently serving as informal caregivers for relatives should stay informed about potential state documentation requirements that could affect access to support services. Contact local family advocacy groups to monitor how these legislative proposals may change the formal recognition of informal kinship care.
The takeaway
Advocates argue that state-level tracking is essential to preventing child exploitation in under-supported informal care settings. Families involved in kinship arrangements should document their placement history and keep records of any child welfare agency involvement in their household.
Further reading
For more background on family resources and system navigation, see our Child Care section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Elko Daily Free Press.
Live Poll
Should the state be required to document every child placed into informal foster care?
