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child welfare

New path for crossover youth

Achieving positive outcomes for youth involved in the child welfare system can be challenging, as is achieving positive outcomes for youth who have been involved in delinquent behaviors.   The challenges become even greater for youth who have been maltreated AND were convicted of a juvenile crime. This group is commonly…...

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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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LB 265: A Positive Step Toward Increasing Kinship Placements

All children deserve to be raised by responsible adults with whom the child feels a bond.  When children cannot safely remain with their parents, the best choice is usually for them to lie with extended family members, family friends, or other trusted adults.  This practice is commonly referred to as…...

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Don’t cut home visiting services – Oppose AM1297

This week, the Legislature has spent many hours discussing our state budget and just how Nebraska will invest in kids and families over the next two years. One important decision was the overwhelming rejection of an amendment that would have decreased funding for home visiting programs. Voices for Children has long…...

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National Foster Care Month an opportunity for real change for Nebraska’s kids

Today, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation making May National Foster Care Month.  Since 1988, May has been designated as the month to recognize the contributions of foster parents and call attention to the needs of children in our nation’s foster care systems. Nationally, 382,400 children under 18 currently are in…...

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A push for prevention

Though millions of dollars have been invested and countless initiatives have been developed to “fix” children and youth in the child welfare system, maybe Desiderius Erasmus said it best and “prevention is better than [a] cure.”  If so, then efforts have been made at the wrong end of the system.…...

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Providing permanency for youth in care

Safety, permanency and well-being are goals for all children and youth, especially those in foster care, but what does permanency mean and what is being done in Nebraska to ensure that children and youth in foster care achieve permanency? In short, permanency refers to the need of all children and…...

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Why economic stability matters in child welfare

After a crazy couple of weeks of work on child welfare bills, this week is the first since legislative hearings started where I won’t be making the trip to the state capitol in Lincoln to testify. While I’ll get some extra hours in the office to work on some ongoing…...

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LB 265: Increasing and Improving Kinship Care in Nebraska

One of the bills we are working to get passed this session is LB 265, a bill to improve kinship care for children and youth in foster care.  We testified in support of the bill earlier today and are looking forward to working with state senators to make sure that…...

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LB 265: Improving Kinship Care in Nebraska

When children cannot remain safely with their own parents, the best place for them is often with adults whom they know, love, and trust. Research has shown that living with relatives or other close family friends minimizes children’s sense of loss after parental separation, increases stability in children’s lives,  often…...

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