2009 Legislative Briefing Book

The purpose of the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP) Legislative Briefing Book is to provide a quick snapshot of some of the most pressing issues facing Nevada’s children in order to provide advocates and policymakers with a stepping stone in creating positive changes to improve the lives of Nevada’s children. While this book will not cover every issue facing our children, it is intended to highlight those of greatest concern, covering issues in education, health, safety and security, and the juvenile justice system. Diligent efforts need to be made during the 2009 Legislative Session to improve policies, procedures and services for Nevada’s children. Nevada has continually been ranked as one of the poorest states when it comes to statistics regarding children and social policy. Given the current economic strains on our State, it is vitally important to focus on preventing cuts to necessary programs while looking ahead to see what we can improve upon during this session, and in the future. Although most advocates and particularly policymakers would like to create policies that will provide immediate positive feedback, it is important to realize that effective social change takes time. As such, much emphasis should be placed on developing quality, comprehensive systems and implementing evidence-based preventive strategies to researched-based risk indicators. This book is intended to be a compilation of statistics and policy recommendations from across the state, authored and supported by the practitioners, agencies, organizations, individuals and others who work with and advocate for the well-being of children in Nevada. A wide variety of these individuals and organizations were contacted to contribute to this briefing book and were asked to provide a brief overview of their major policy concerns, as well as specific recommendations for improving those policies. We have included contact information for each contributor, as well as additional contacts/resources for further information in some categories. In light of the current economic crisis, the briefing book also includes a special section on State Expenditures and Funding, which includes some recommendations for moving forward to ensure that appropriate revenue sources are available in the future