The Legislative Counsel Bureau presented a special project report Dec. 19, 2024, reviewing governmental and private facilities that provide custody or care for children. The report, required by statute (NRS 218G.570–218G.595), described inspections of 36 facilities and identified multiple safety, medication, training and reporting deficiencies at several locations.

Auditors inspected two psychiatric residential treatment facilities operated by Ignite Teen Treatment LLC and found instances of children escaping, unsecured pools and hot tubs, damaged windows and glass hazards, exposed wiring and sprinkler lines, unsecured potentially dangerous items, and inconsistent medication records. Auditors said staff initially denied use of restraints despite incidents described in records; denial‑of‑rights reports for restraints were not completed. The Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance completed complaint investigations after the LCB inspections, placed a temporary admissions ban on one facility and issued monetary sanctions as part of its enforcement work.

Inspections of four Clark County Family Services Advanced Foster Care homes found untimely treatment plans, missing foster‑parent training records, unsecured records, missing or inaccessible complaint boxes, missing monthly fire‑drill documentation and incomplete first‑aid kits. Clark County told auditors it addressed immediate safety concerns after the inspections and said it would update policies and required trainings.

At another licensed residential facility, Aurora Center for Healing, auditors found medication administration errors, missing medications, and records showing a child expressed suicidal ideation without documented reassessment or increased supervision. Several licensed facilities lacked documentation that employee background checks and fingerprint submissions had been completed according to the applicable licensing standards.

"As of June 30, 2024, we identified 102 facilities that met the requirements of NRS 218G; we completed inspections of 36 of these children’s facilities," the report said. The audit also reviewed 2,039 complaints forwarded by facilities during the fiscal year, finding inconsistent complaint reporting and recordkeeping practices among facility types.

Auditors recommended the legislature consider clarifying complaint‑reporting requirements for children's facilities holding physical custody by court order, and consider requiring Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance‑licensed facilities that hold state‑placed children to perform child‑abuse registry checks on direct‑care employees before hire and periodically thereafter — aligning screening and training expectations across facility types.

At the hearing, licensing representatives described complaint intake and prioritization. Kyle Devine of the Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance said the bureau prioritizes complaints and responds within two business days for high‑priority matters; Clark County said foster‑home licensing staff conduct quarterly visits and relicensing every two years. The subcommittee approved the report.

Ending: The audit prompted licensing enforcement actions and cross‑agency follow up; lawmakers may consider statutory changes to standardize complaint reporting and employee screening across facility types that care for state‑placed children.