THE CHILDREN'S CABINET
The Children's Cabinet was formed in 1985 by a group of concerned citizens to serve "children at risk." It is a private, non-profit organization addressing the needs of children and families in northern Nevada.
The mission of the Children's Cabinet is to fill the gap between existing services to children and new programs and resources for children at risk. From the beginning, the Cabinet has had strong support from the judiciary, and public and private child-serving agencies. Agencies utilized include Juvenile Probation, County Social Services, State Welfare, and the State Mental Health/Mental Retardation Division.
Some of the services offered include:
Early Intervention Teams for children ages 8-12 and their families. Services include parenting classes, counseling, testing, and outside intervention.
Emancipation Homes: group homes for children ages 16-18 who are leaving foster care.
Information and referral regarding existing programs.
Kempe Line: toll-free consulting services for child serving professionals to the Kempe Center for Child Abuse and Neglect in Denver, Colorado.
Triage Team for cases involving children with immediate, multiple problems such as mental health and drug related issues.
The first executive director was David Humke, who was appointed in mid-1985 and agreed to serve on a temporary basis until December 31, 1986. Sheila Leslie was subsequently appointed; she served until 1994, when Sarah Longaker was appointed. For several years, the Cabinet's only paid staff member was the director; the Cabinet relied on the use of Washoe County child-serving professionals and on VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) volunteers. Currently, the staff includes a full spectrum of professionals specializing in the treatment of children, teenagers, and their parents.
A long term goal of the Cabinet was a Family Resource Center which would provide headquarters for direct services for children and families, including crisis intervention for families; a status offender intervention program; diagnostic assessment center; children's clothes closet; outdoor wilderness program for pre-delinquent teens; and three emergency shelters to house abused and neglected children, and adolescent male and female status offenders. Ground breaking occurred in October of 1989 at the corner of South Rock Boulevard and Longley Lane in Reno for the Maud W. "Jill" Walker Family Resource Center, which was finished in April, 1990. In March, 1991, the Kids Kottage Emergency Child Protection Shelter began providing 24-hour, 7-day-a-week care for abused or neglected children at a new facility behind the Family Resource building. A year later, work was begun on the McGee Center for Adolescent Programs. The McGee Center provides a variety of services, residential and non-residential, to youth who have run away, are incorrigible or truant, or who are otherwise in need of supervision. The Center opened in October, 1992.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The records of the Children's Cabinet were donated to the Special Collections Department in 1994. The collection consists of three cubic feet of records, dating from 1985-1993. At the present time (June, 1994), the collection does not include any personnel files, information related to payroll, or client information that identifies users of Cabinet programs by name. In accordance with terms specified by the Children's Cabinet in the deed of gift, such material will not be made available.
The arrangement of this collections follows the original order of the Children's Cabinet which is chronological. The earliest records emphasize the development of the concept and mission statement of the Children's Cabinet, and consist of minutes of the board of directors, mission statements, concept clarification position papers, and priority lists of proposed activities. The need for such a facility is well documented in these records. Quarterly reports filed with the VISTA program, and Cabinet newsletters also indicate the extent of program development.
These records provide information on additional programs which were added to the Cabinet's services, including the development of a truancy center, the SWEAT program (Sierra Wilderness Experience and Training), the Washoe County Status Offenders Intervention Program, the Junior League Tutors for Truants project, Alliance for Families in Transition, Volunteers in Probation, parenting education project, and Comprehensive Neighborhood Outreach and Prevention Project.
Records not included in this collection include routine financial records (such as power and telephone bills), financial records which do not document specific programs or activities, personnel records, and case files or other materials which name clients of the Children's Cabinet.
Processed by: Susan Searcy
Date: June 21, 1994
Box 1
1. 1985. Mission statement, concept clarification, minutes, correspondence. February - August.
2. 1985. Minutes, correspondence, priority lists. September - December.
3. 1986. Minutes, reports, statement of purpose, agreement for creation of Children's Cabinet.
4. 1986. VISTA volunteer grant application; Children's Cabinet agreement with VISTA.
5. 1987. Consultants.
6. 1987. Resource development expenses.
7. 1987-1988. VISTA quarterly reports.
8. Number not assigned.
9. 1987-1992. Newsletters. Vol. 1, no. 1 - Vol. 6, no. 3 (September 1987 - October, 1992).
10. 1988. Children's Cabinet information and referral (VISTA volunteer/Resource Coordinator).
11. [1988]. VISTA: Early Intervention Team.
12. 1988. VISTA: Needs Analyst Program.
13. 1988. Annual VISTA project report.
14. 1988. SWEAT (Sierra Wilderness Experience and Training Program).
15-16. 1988. Venture grant: Truancy Center.
17. 1988. General liability.
18. 1988-1989. Insurance policy.
19. 1988-1989. Lease of offices at 131 Sutro Street, Suite 207.
20. 1988-1989. Year end statistics (Truancy Center).
21-22. 1988-1989. VISTA quarterly reports.
23. 1988-1989. WSYSN contract (Western States Youth Services Network).
24. 1988-1989. Youth Services Division draw-downs, 1st grant.
25-27. 1988-1989. Washoe County Status Offender Intervention Program.
28-29 . 1988-1989. Project SWEAT.
Box 2
30. 1989. Investments, bequests.
31. 1989. Misc. expenses.
32-33. 1989. Financial accounts, January - December.
34. 1989. Consultants/contracts.
35. 1989. Beneficiary services/Fam. Asst. Fd.
36. 1989. Dean Witter.
37. 1989. Fees.
38. 1989. Foundation expenses (construction).
39. 1989. Furnishings and equipment, Family Resource Center.
40. 1989. General liability insurance.
41-42. 1989. Investment Advisory Committee.
43. 1989. Memberships.
44. 1989. Rent.
45. 1989. Training.
46. 1989. Junior League Tutoring.
47-58. 1989. January - December financial reports.
59. 1989. Bank deposits.
Box 3
60. 1989. Building construction: United Construction Company.
61-62. 1989. Permanency Planning Task Force.
63. 1989. Truancy Center Project.
64. 1989. County Community Development Block Grant: Children and Family Resource Center.
65. 1989. American Medical Association award application.
66. 1989. SWEAT Field Day, Fuller Lake.
67-70. 1989. VISTA applications, reports.
71. 1989-1990. Volunteer hour monthly reports.
72. 1989-1990. Alliance for Families in Transition.
73-74. 1989-1990. VISTA contract and reports.
75. 1989-1991. Homeless Youth Project, Elko.
76. 1990. Southwest Pavilion Fashion Show.
77. 1990. Guatemala Art Show.
78. 1990. VISTA 25th Anniversary Celebration.
79. 1990-1991. Homeless Youth Project.
80. 1990-1991. Volunteers in Probation.
81. 1991. Parenting Education Project.
82. 1991. Parenting: Who's Parenting Whom?
83. 1991. Hispanic Heritage Day, September 15.
84. 1991. Mentor Program (VISTA).
85. 1991. Gangs: "White Paper: Nevada's Youth Gangs."
86-87. 1991-1992. VISTA proposal, contract, quarterly reports.
88. 1991-1992. Comprehensive Neighborhood Outreach and Prevention Project (CNOP). BADA (Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse) Prevention Monies.
89. 1992. Dr. Lee Hausner's appearance to benefit the Children's Cabinet.
90. 1993. Smith's 2 Minute Shopping Spree/Youth Offering Services fundraiser.