1. An agency which provides child welfare services shall adopt, publish on an Internet website maintained by the agency and update annually a plan for the recruitment and retention of foster homes which must include, without limitation:

(a) A determination of the number of foster homes needed in the area served by the agency. When making that determination, the agency must consider the needs of children in foster care in the area served by the agency with respect to:

(1) The ages of the children;

(2) Accommodating siblings to remain together;

(3) Serving children who have intellectual or developmental disabilities and who have other special needs; and

(4) Addressing the needs of children in foster care to receive care provided in a racially and culturally competent manner.

(b) Specific goals for the number of foster homes needed in the geographic area served by the agency.

(c) If the agency failed to meet the goals established pursuant to paragraph (b) for the immediately preceding year, a description of the measures that the agency plans to take to ensure that the agency meets those targets during the immediately following year.

(d) A plan to ensure that, to the extent possible, a foster home in which a child is placed pursuant to NRS 432B.550 is located in:

(1) The same community as the home from which the child was removed; and

(2) The zone of attendance of the public school that the child was attending when he or she was removed from that home, if applicable.

(e) Strategies for recruiting foster homes in geographic areas with a high rate of placement of children in protective custody.

(f) An identification of resources available to support foster parents.

2. An agency which provides child welfare services shall appoint one or more employees to:

(a) Develop and carry out the plan adopted pursuant to subsection 1.

(b) Evaluate the implementation of the plan, the degree to which existing procedures for placing children in foster homes meet the needs of those children and use resources efficiently, any gaps in services for children placed in protective custody or foster care and any barriers to placing children in accordance with paragraph (d) of subsection 1.

3. On or before August 1 of each year, an agency which provides child welfare services shall publish on an Internet website maintained by the agency a report which includes, without limitation:

(a) Information relating to whether the agency achieved the goals established pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 1 for each quarter of the immediately preceding year;

(b) The number of children placed outside this State for more than 15 days during the immediately preceding year, including, without limitation, the number of children placed in residential treatment facilities outside this State for more than 15 days during the immediately preceding year;

(c) The reasons for the placements described in paragraph (b);

(d) A summary of changes that could prevent the placements described in paragraph (b); and

(e) A summary of changes or actions necessary to allow children who are currently placed outside this State to return to this State.

(Added to NRS by 2019, 2183)