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Coming in 8th – or how Nebraska’s KIDS COUNT rank doesn’t tell the whole story

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s National KIDS COUNT Data Book was released on Monday.  The Data Book provides policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being that in turn can enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children.  This book presents the latest trends in…...

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Breakfast Improves Children’s Overall Health

The importance of school breakfast on the success of children is more and more apparent each day. Research has shown that school breakfast has a direct impact on children’s ability to learn in school. Yet one aspect that must be looked at as well, is the impact on children’s health.…...

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Shout out: Innovative ideas that make schools healthier

At Voices for Children, our work focuses on bigger picture policy change for kids, but we know there are people on the ground doing amazing things for kids in our communities every day.  Their stories are the pieces that make up the whole story of children and youth.  The “Shout…...

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The KIDS COUNT National Data Book is coming!

If you follow Voices for Children in Nebraska, you undoubtedly hear a lot about the Kids Count in Nebraska Report, but you may not know much about the national report.  The National Data Book takes data from all 50 states, compares states, and provides a ranking.  This report can easily…...

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Meet FERPA, the HIPAA of education records

Child welfare agencies across the country are responsible for the well-being of more than half a million children. Unfortunately, children and youth in foster care are the most educationally at-risk of all student populations. Due placement interruptions and the school transfers that tend to follow, only about 54% of foster…...

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Breakfast Matters: Breakfast and Learning

When we think about children’s educational successes, there are a lot of factors that immediately come to mind.  Things like teacher quality and a child’s own intellectual abilities are obvious ones.  So it may come as a surprise to some that breakfast is another essential component to education. Facilitating and…...

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Legislative Update: Sine Die 2013

A little more than a year ago, the Legislature’s “Session of Children” adjourned after lots of hard work and heated debate. As the 2013 Legislative Session drew to a close and more bills crossed the finish line, it is incredibly encouraging to see that the Legislature’s commitment to investing in children hasn’t…...

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LB 212: Change court-ordered parenting plan provisions of the Parenting Act

As introduced: With respect to court-ordered parenting plans, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that each parent is entitled to at least 45% of the annual parenting time, as measured by the number of overnights the child spends with each parent. The burden of proof is on the party or…...

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LB 22: Change parenting plan provisions related to the Parenting Act

As introduced: The Legislature finds that maximized parenting time with each parent protects children from harm to the father—child relationship and from harm due to parents’ conflicts, and, absent of evidence to the contrary, it is in a child’s best interest to have substantial, frequent, meaningful, and continuing parenting time…...

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LB 139: Change vital statistics information relating to annulment and dissolution of marriage

As introduced: On or before the 5th of each month, the district court clerk for each county shall provide a statement of each annulment or dissolution performed for the preceding month.  The information requested by the clerk, and then given to the department, shall include: information regarding the legal custody,…...

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