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…...
SPARC: What’s next for child welfare in Nebraska?
Last week, just a few days after attending the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT conference in Baltimore with hundreds of child advocates from across the country, I found myself in a much smaller room in Washington D.C. for the convening of the State Policy Advocacy and Reform Center (SPARC)…...
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…...
HR 4980: Pathways to permanency
It’s rare to find an issue that draws unanimous bipartisan support among members of the U.S. Congress in the news today. Fortunately, when it comes to some children’s issues, politicians from both sides of the aisle often come to an agreement on the importance of investing in tomorrow’s generations. Last…...
Adverse Childhood Experiences in Nebraska
Ensuring that all children in Nebraska grow up to be happy and healthy adults requires a framework that extends beyond the traditional. When thinking about the course of a child’s life, it is important to consider the long-term impacts of different experiences on outcomes in adulthood. New data released last…...
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…...
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…...
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…...
