432B.180 - Duties of Division of Child and Family Services; corrective action required by certain agencies which provide child welfare services; consequences for failure to take corrective action; dep
432B.180 Duties of Division of Child and Family Services; corrective action required by certain agencies which provide child welfare services; consequences for failure to take corrective action; deposit of administrative fines by Division. [Effective January 1, 2011.] The Division of Child and Family Services shall:
1. Administer any money granted to the State by the Federal Government.
2. Plan, coordinate and monitor the delivery of child welfare services provided throughout the State.
3. Provide child welfare services directly or arrange for the provision of those services in a county whose population is less than 100,000.
4. Coordinate its activities with and assist the efforts of any law enforcement agency, a court of competent jurisdiction, an agency which provides child welfare services and any public or private organization which provides social services for the prevention, identification and treatment of abuse or neglect of children and for permanent placement of children.
5. Involve communities in the improvement of child welfare services.
6. Evaluate all child welfare services provided throughout the State and, if an agency which provides child welfare services is not complying with any federal or state law relating to the provision of child welfare services, regulations adopted pursuant to those laws or statewide plans or policies relating to the provision of child welfare services, require corrective action of the agency which provides child welfare services.
7. If an agency which provides child welfare services fails to take corrective action required pursuant to subsection 6 within a reasonable period, take one or more of the following actions against the agency which provides child welfare services:
(a) Withhold money from the agency which provides child welfare services;
(b) Impose an administrative fine against the agency which provides child welfare services;
(c) Provide the agency which provides child welfare services with direct supervision and recover the cost and expenses incurred by the Division in providing such supervision; and
(d) Require the agency which provides child welfare services to determine whether it is necessary to impose disciplinary action that is consistent with the personnel rules of the agency which provides child welfare services against an employee who substantially contributes to the noncompliance of the agency which provides child welfare services with the federal or state laws, regulations adopted pursuant to such laws or statewide plans or policies, including, without limitation, suspension of the employee without pay, if appropriate.
Ê The Division shall adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of this subsection, including, without limitation, regulations which prescribe the circumstances under which action must be taken against an agency which provides child welfare services for failure to take corrective action and which specify that any such action by the Division must not impede the provision of child welfare services.
8. In consultation with each agency which provides child welfare services, request sufficient money for the provision of child welfare services throughout this State.
9. Deposit any money received from the administrative fines imposed pursuant to this section with the State Treasurer for credit to the State General Fund. The State Treasurer shall account separately for the money deposited pursuant to this subsection. The money in the account may only be used by the Division to improve the provision of child welfare services in this State, including, without limitation:
(a) To pay the costs associated with providing training and technical assistance and conducting quality improvement activities for an agency which provides child welfare services to assist the agency in any area in which the agency has failed to take corrective action; and
(b) Hiring a qualified consultant to conduct such training, technical assistance and quality improvement activities.
10. Coordinate with and assist:
(a) Each agency which provides child welfare services in recruiting, training and licensing providers of family foster care as defined in NRS 424.017;
(b) Each foster care agency licensed pursuant to NRS 424.093 to 424.097, inclusive, in screening, recruiting, licensing and training providers of family foster care as defined in NRS 424.017; and
(c) A nonprofit or community-based organization in recruiting and training providers of family foster care as defined in NRS 424.017 if the Division determines that the organization provides a level of training that is equivalent to the level of training provided by an agency which provides child welfare services.
(Added to NRS by 1985, 1370; A 1987, 1439; 1993, 2705; 2001 Special Session, 35; 2007, 543, 1501; 2009, 1489, effective January 1, 2011)