LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Clark County program that provides attorneys to foster children in civil cases involving abuse or neglect is set to get an additional infusion of money, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
The Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada Children’s Attorneys Project is expected to get another $1.4 million after Clark County Commissioners voted earlier this month to increase court fees, the Sun reported (https://bit.ly/2ffv4h9 .)
Recorder fees for most real estate-related documents already send $3 to the Children’s Attorneys Project, and the commission unanimously voted Sept. 5 to raise that by $2 starting Oct. 1. The change is expected to bring in an additional $1.4 million for the program, the Sun reports.
Commissioner Jim Gibson, an attorney, said now was a good time for the commission to help foster children. “The difficulty is there will always be constraints on government. We need to step up. This is a time when we can,” he said.
During the latest legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that requires courts to appoint an attorney to represent children during civil cases involving abuse or neglect and the termination of parental rights.
Legal Aid Center Executive Director Barbara Buckley said foster children in civil cases must have proper representation.
“Having an attorney means your case isn’t forgotten, that you are not forgotten,” Buckley said. “If anyone deserves that, it’s these kids.”
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Information from: Las Vegas Sun, https://www.lasvegassun.com
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