Nevada Couple Wants to Change Laws In Order To Have Foster Kids While Not Renouncing Their Loaded Guns

Brian Wilson and his wife Valerie were denied the license to raise foster kids under Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 424.600 that restricts foster parents to possess loaded guns/firearms. The couple applied to become foster parents in 2013 and also underwent parenting classes as well as multiple home study visits. However, they had been in legal possession of firearms, and were thus, denied the foster parent status because of their refusal to comply with the above mentioned law. A letter from Clark County Department of Family Services to the couple reads, “The applicants stated they would not be able to comply with this regulation if licensed due to having a concealed weapons permit to carry their personal defense weapon on their physical body.”

Brian reacted saying “There are kids who need homes. There are people who want to give it to them and they’re turning them away, if they were to turn around and deny our right to foster a child because we had a Bible or Koran, they’d be screaming from the heavens. ‘How dare somebody infringe upon somebody’s First Amendment rights?”

In their desire to have foster kids, the couples have supported Assembly Bill 167[1] sponsored by Assembly woman Michele Fiore that would change Nevada Department of Health and Human Services’ regulations requiring firearms to be unloaded and inoperable any time foster children are present with their foster parents. Fiore described the bill as “a real simple bill”. She further stated that “the bottom line is we have our child welfare agencies denying great law-abiding citizens, couples, police officers the right to foster,” “What they’ve basically said was it’s not a right to foster, it’s a privilege.”

The couple admitted that they will continue to advocate for an opportunity to become a foster parent which can be inferred from the following reported statement made by Brian –

“My hope is this bill will pass and we’ll be able to move ahead and foster and adopt a child.”