Yesterday, the Nebraska Supreme Court heard arguments in an appeal of a juvenile court’s order holding HHS in contempt for failure to provide counseling services as ordered for a child in an out-of-home placement. In this case, HHS also questioned the authority of juvenile courts to hold HHS responsible for payments by HHS’s lead contractor […]
Enforcing Court Orders in the Best Interests of Children Read More »
On Tuesday, the HHS Committee voted 7-0 to advance LB 95, a bill to require accreditation of lead contractors, with an amendment calling for a moratorium on returning to privatization in the central, northern and western service areas of the state until June 2012. Essentially, this would prevent the state from contracting with a new
Proposed Legislative Moratorium on Child Welfare Privatization Read More »
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 »
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