In November 2012, in the Las Vegas area, a two-year-old in foster care suffered severe brain injury because of being shaken. His caregiver left him with a babysitter without the approval of Family Services. When the boy couldn’t open one eye later that night, his caregiver took him to the hospital where part of his skull was removed to make room for the brain swelling. The shaking also caused a stroke and a series of seizures. The babysitter was arrested. This incident prompted investigation into the rules and regulations governing foster parents.
In September of 2014 Supreme Court Justice Nancy Saitta “called for a blue ribbon committee to examine short comings in the Clark County child welfare system and courts,” according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. Saitta told the Review Journal, “These children deserve better, and I get no sense of urgency on the part of the system. This committee will identify the most serious issues in the child welfare system and work with county officials to make sure they are corrected quickly.”
But the mother and grandparents of the little boy who suffered brain injury while in foster care aren’t appeased with the progress that has been made since the Blue Ribbon Committee began working. They are suing Clark County’s child welfare system as well as specific individuals who work within the system. It is hoped they will go to trial later this year or early in 2016.
