Nevada Children's Lobby Has Launched
The new advocacy group seeks state documentation for thousands of children currently in informal kinship care arrangements.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Child Care
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Founders Patricia Farley-Moore and Ali Caliendo launched the Nevada Children's Lobby to increase oversight of informal foster care. The organization aims to track children placed by Child Protective Services into kinship homes that currently lack state documentation.
Why it matters
Informal care arrangements operate without state supervision or support services, leaving thousands of children potentially vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. The group hopes to mandate documentation to ensure these children receive necessary protections.
The Nevada Department of Child and Family Services maintains no data on children living with relatives outside the formal welfare system. The Annie B. Casey Foundation estimates 19,000 children are currently in informal foster care statewide.
The players
Patricia Farley-Moore
She is a co-founder of the Nevada Children's Lobby and a prominent advocate for child welfare reform.
Ali Caliendo
She is a co-founder of the Nevada Children's Lobby focused on improving oversight of kinship care systems.
Nevada Department of Child and Family Services
This state agency is responsible for child welfare and the management of formal foster care placements in Nevada.
The details
Child Protective Services often directs relatives to take in children without initiating the formal legal custody process, creating a gap in oversight. The lobby proposes new legislation to mandate state documentation for all children placed into care by the agency.
Timeline
The Nevada Children's Lobby launched on Thursday.
Child welfare block grants have been capped since 2012.
The organization plans to raise $100,000 over the next year.
Roadmap
The move to formalize kinship care follows years of funding constraints triggered by the 2012 cap on child welfare block grants. By seeking state oversight, advocates are challenging the historical reliance on unmonitored informal placements.
Families currently relying on informal kinship care may face new state mandates regarding custody documentation if the proposed legislation passes. This shift could provide these households with access to previously unavailable state support services.
The takeaway
Advocates argue that formalizing these care arrangements is a critical step in preventing the exploitation of children in the welfare system. Families involved in kinship care should monitor upcoming legislative sessions for potential changes to state documentation requirements.
Further reading
For more on state-level support systems, visit the Child Care section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Elko Daily Free Press.
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Should the state be required to document every child placed into informal foster care?
