LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) sent a joint letter to the Social Security Administration, calling on the agency to process pending applications submitted by Clark County Family Services (CCFS) to obtain Social Security cards for youth in foster care.
The letter follows months of unanswered attempts by CCFS, county commissioners, and both lawmakers’ offices to work with SSA to resolve the issue, according to a news release from Horsford’s office.
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Documentation dispute
In December 2025, SSA notified CCFS that Social Security number applications required certain accompanying documentation to be physically certified by the custodian of record, the release said.
For children in foster care, the custodian of record is the State of Nevada, which has operated digitally since 2010, when the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada mandated electronic filing for civil and family cases, according to the release and the lawmakers’ letter.
The letter states that prior to December 2025, SSA accepted Social Security number applications for foster children in Clark County without issue, and that SSA did not notify CCFS in recent years that electronic certification of documents needed to be addressed to avoid disruption.
The letter also states that SSA’s own policy manual allows adjudicators to accept an evidentiary standard other than preferred evidence in certain situations, permits electronically signed court documents in lieu of those with a raised seal, and calls for third-level evidence to be handled on a case-by-case basis.
The lawmakers additionally raised concern that SSA is not recognizing Nevada’s WebIZ immunization information system as valid secondary documentation for children under age 6 to receive a Social Security number. According to the letter, Clark County was advised earlier this year that a certified physical copy of immunization records should be obtained from a child’s medical provider, which the letter describes as labor intensive and difficult to obtain in a timely manner.
More than 1,300 youth affected
More than 1,300 foster youth in Clark County are currently unable to receive their Social Security cards, according to the release.
“Once again, the people are caught up in bureaucracy,” Horsford said. “Our priority is ensuring people have access to the services they are entitled to and can live their lives to the fullest. Our foster youth are among the most vulnerable in our community and SSA’s unwillingness to acknowledge our local laws shows this Administration’s regard for Nevadans.”
“Without Social Security numbers, these youth can’t receive federal healthcare coverage, secure permanent placement in loving families, or even get their first job,” Cortez Masto said. “The Trump Administration must immediately process outstanding Social Security number applications and work with Clark County to remedy these documentation issues, so Nevada’s foster children don’t have to proceed any longer with their lives on pause.”
The lawmakers’ letter states that foster children in Clark County are being blocked from health care, including mental health services, because Social Security numbers are required to enroll in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage. The letter also states that family reunification and new home placements are pending until Social Security cards can be obtained, and that foster children are blocked from obtaining a driver’s license and securing employment without a Social Security card.
County response
Since the initial notice in December, CCFS has provided documentation from the State of Nevada to SSA consistent with the state’s mandated electronic records and has offered to obtain any necessary information from the state to authenticate the records for use in other states, according to the release. To date, SSA has not responded to this request, the release said.
“Clark County is grateful to the leadership of Senator Cortez Masto and Congressman Horsford as they work on our behalf to address this pressing issue which is impacting over 1,300 children in our care,” said Kevin Schiller, Clark County manager. “Our most sacred responsibility is ensuring our most vulnerable children are cared for and we are being inhibited from doing this in the current state with the Social Security Administration.”
In their letter, Horsford and Cortez Masto demanded that SSA immediately process the pending applications and rectify document certification discrepancies with CCFS by the end of 2026. The lawmakers requested a written response from SSA within 10 business days, along with regular backlog updates.
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