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Juvenile Justice

Ferguson on our Minds

The decision of the grand jury in Ferguson and the resulting state of unrest throughout surrounding communities are much on our minds today at Voices for Children.  As concerned citizens, we hope and strive toward a society in which the rule of law protects the innocent, holds the guilty accountable,…...

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New Policy Coordinator for Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

  As Executive Director of Voices for Children in Nebraska, I would like to extend my formal welcome to Juliet Summers, our new Policy Coordinator for Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice. Juliet will be responsible for overseeing our policy research, analysis, and advocacy efforts on behalf of children involved in…...

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5 scary facts about Nebraska’s kids and families

In honor of Halloween, we are counting down a few of the scariest facts we could think of related to Nebraska’s kids and families. 5) 69% of children in Nebraska who are uninsured are low-income and should qualify for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but are not enrolled. 4) 1 year…...

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Saying Goodbye to an Advocate

This week, Voices for Children in Nebraska is saying goodbye to one of its long-time advocates for children and families – Sarah Forrest. During Sarah’s time as Policy Coordinator for Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice at Voices for Children, we have achieved significant victories for kids. These victories were due…...

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September is Attendance Awareness Month

It’s already September! Across the country, communities, school districts, and nonprofits are marking Attendance Awareness Month. The research is pretty clear: missing lots of school, for any reason, can cause children to fall behind academically and put them at increased risk of dropping out or delaying graduation. In January of…...

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Events in Ferguson Raise Debate on Justice System

For nearly two weeks, the country has had their eyes fixed on Ferguson, Missouri. The tragic killing of teen-aged Michael Brown by police and the protests that have followed have rightly raised debate about the state of our system of justice in the United States. The hardest thing to swallow…...

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Ending Nebraska’s School to Prison Pipeline

Most of us agree that access to quality education is one of the most important things we can do to ensure the well-being of Nebraska’s children and our state as a whole. Opportunities to learn and build skills are an essential part of preparing youth for healthy, productive adulthoods. Too…...

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Why PREA matters for Nebraska’s kids

Here’s something we should all agree on: Nebraska’s children and youth deserve to be safe from sexual abuse and victimization. Last month, we lost an important opportunity to ensure the safety of youth in the juvenile justice system. On May 29, Governor Heineman announced that Nebraska would not comply with…...

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The Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act: Investing in the Future

Here in Nebraska, we know that the social and financial costs of the juvenile justice system are not insignificant. Incarceration rates in our state are the 4th highest in the country — and have been increasing while national rates have fallen. Nevertheless, promising steps forward have been made recently in the…...

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Number of State Wards Down, but Reform Work Remains

Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services released new numbers on significant changes underway in Nebraska’s child welfare system. Over the past few years a number of reform efforts, both administrative and legislative, have been enacted to better serve Nebraska’s children and families. The new numbers show that…...

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