Yesterday, the Nebraska Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving whether to place a child in foster care in Nebraska with her siblings in Minnesota. Appleseed filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in this case because we think it has the potential to set an important precedent regarding the right of […]
Supreme Court to Decide Rights of Siblings in Foster Care Read More »
Alex Gibilisco is a Junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an intern this semester at Nebraska Appleseed. Alex immigrated with his family to the United States from Guatemala at the age of 10. Alex submitted the following testimony to the Legislature’s Education Committee Monday, February 7 in opposition to LB 657, which would repeal
A Personal Reflection on Nebraska’s In-State Tuition Law Read More »
Senate Republicans on Wednesday were unsuccessful in their attempt to repeal the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The repeal measure failed to receive the 60 votes it needed to pass, ultimately being defeated, 51 to 47. Repealing health reform – and its vital consumer protections – would have a devastating effect on
Refusing to Play Politics with Nebraskans’ Health Read More »
Last week, Voices for Children in Nebraska released their 2010 Kids Count in Nebraska report. This valuable report tracks the status of children in Nebraska using the best available data across several key indicators including educational, social, economic and physical well-being. This year’s Kids Count report includes a special feature on Children’s Behavioral Health in
Voices for Children’s Kids Count Report Illuminates Children’s Behavioral Health Needs Read More »
On Friday, January 28, 2011, the Legislature’s Heath and Human Services (HHS) Committee held a hearing on LR 37, a legislative resolution that would designate the HHS Committee to review, investigate, and assess the state’s faltering reform of the child welfare system. Nebraska Appleseed, Voices for Children, and many other partners held this press briefing
Legislative Oversight of Child Welfare Reform Read More »
Yesterday, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced, on the first day of the legislative session which is largely overshadowed by the projected budget deficit, that they “found” $19 million to inject into the state’s faltering child welfare reform effort. Nebraska Appleseed has said from the beginning that the reform is underfunded
Injection of Funds into Faltering Child Welfare Privatization Raises Questions Read More »
On Wednesday, Nebraska Appleseed and some of our partners organized a press briefing and roundtable discussion of child advocates regarding the current reform of the child welfare system. We also released a letter signed by over 800 individuals and organizations calling on the Governor and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to
On Friday afternoon, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced its next steps in the child welfare reform in a press release. These next steps include transferring additional case management responsibilities from the state to the remaining private agencies. This has and will mean layoffs of a number of state caseworkers. Yet
“Next steps” in Child Welfare Reform – But Is This the Right Direction? Read More »
On September 30th, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that Boys and Girls Home and HHS have mutually agreed to terminate their contract with the state as one of three remaining lead agencies in the child welfare reform. Boys and Girls Home had the contract for the entire central, northern and
Loss of Third Child Welfare Lead Agency Demands State Reconsider Reform Read More »
On September 22, the Legislature’s Children’s Behavioral Health Oversight Committee held a hearing and listened to testimony from parents of children with unmet behavioral health needs. The stories were heartbreaking. Many told of the support they received from peer mentors. However, several of the family organizations that provide this service testified that they may have