Nevada and three other states, lead the nation for placing children who are under state care, into a family environment rather than a group home or institution.
A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds that in a recent year, 94 percent of all children under state care in Nevada were in a family placement. Louise Helton is with the Kids Count Project in Las Vegas. She says group or institutional placements can cost ten times the amount it takes to place a child with a relative or foster family. She adds that family placement also benefits a child's emotional well-being.
"The child will be much better served in the long run, because the child's confidence and everything is improved, and therefore everything flows from there, when they know that they are supported and cared for," Helton said.
Other states leading the nation in child placement are Washington, Oregon and Maine.