Over the past couple of weeks, we have been digging into the data to take a look at the decline in the number of Nebraska’s state wards. We found that in 2012, just over 24% of the children and youth receiving services through DHHS were in out-of-home care (while over…...
Has the child welfare pyramid been flipped?
I recently marked my 3rd anniversary at Voices for Children in Nebraska. During my tenure at Voices for Children, one topic has dominated the child welfare conversation: Nebraska’s habit of making children state wards and relying on out-of-home care. For years, Nebraska has had one of the highest rates…...
Child Welfare’s Changing Front Door
In case you missed it, there’s some very good news coming from Nebraska’s child welfare system: fewer children are becoming state wards and we’re keeping more families together successfully. Last week, we highlighted this good news, but with a promise to dig a little deeper into all of the changes…...
Cradle to college: Boosting expectations with college savings accounts
As students across Nebraska head back to school for the fall, college affordability looms large on the minds of many high school seniors. Last week, President Obama addressed growing concerns over the rising costs of higher education with a new plan targeted at the middle class. His plan ties federal funding…...
A closer look at Nebraska’s child welfare progress
It wasn’t too long ago that newspapers across our state were full of bad news about Nebraska’s child welfare system and reform efforts. The front pages were full of tales of constant turmoil, transition, fiscal mismanagement, and few improvements in how kids and families were actually faring. If you’ve been…...
