NEVADA DIVISION OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES NEWS RELEASE CARSON CITY – The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services announced today that it has received notification from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families that all action steps and strategies required by the Program Improvement Plan (PIP) were determined successful. “We appreciate all the hard work and dedication that your staff has demonstrated in successfully completing the elements of the PIP,” said the U.S. DHHS, Administration for Children and Families, in the approval notification letter. “Your efforts to improve the permanency, safety and well-being of Nevada’s children are greatly appreciated.”
The PIP process required Nevada to establish specific goals tied to improving safety, permanency, and well-being for children as a result of the 2009 Child and Family Services Review (CFSR). Nevada’s three child welfare agencies, the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS), Clark County Department of Family Services (CCDFS) and Washoe County Department of Social Services (WCDSS) worked collaboratively to improve practice through policy development, training for workers and development of quality improvement and data measures.
Amber Howell, Administrator for the Division of Child and Family Services, said, “We are committed to improving outcomes for Nevada’s children and families and will continue to work collaboratively with CCDFS and WCDSS to improve services for children, as well as, establishing appropriate and timely permanency goals for children.” Howell continued, “The completion of the PIP is just the beginning for us. We want to build on the momentum and success that we achieved over the last two years. By taking advantage of this opportunity, not only to collaborate with sister agencies and organizations but to take a close look at all of our practices, we are exploring ways to ensure that our commitment to improving the lives of Nevada’s children and families is translated into solid action plans. The work we have done collectively is proof that we can come together in our obligation and dedication to the safety and well-being of our most precious commodity – our children.”
The PIP action steps and goals focused on specific tasks that were set out to enhance child safety, increase permanency for children in the foster care system, increase collaboration with the court systems throughout the state and increase the training for child welfare staff. Howell stated “This is a tremendous accomplishment for everyone involved, made even more significant given some of the challenges we faced in terms of resources. The involvement and commitment of the court system contributed significantly to the successful outcome of this project and I am so appreciative of everyone’s hard work and dedication.”
For more about the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services, visit http://www.dcfs.state.nv.us/
