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Through The Eyes Of The Child Initiative

Through The Eyes of the Child Initiative

Working to Improve the Lives of Nebraska's Children

Read "The Amazing Teen Brain: What Every Child Advocate Needs to Know” by Linda Burgess Chamberlain in the April 2009 newsletter of ABA Child Law Practice.

A Letter From the Chief Justice

2008 Regional Conferences

Chief Justice Michael Heavican
Chief Justice Michael Heavican


September 16th, 2008

Dear Participant:

Welcome to the 2008 Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative regional conferences. The agendas are very ambitious and it is my hope that the conferences will provide good discussion and offer information useful to you and your team.

These regional conferences mark the two-year anniversary of the creation of the Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative. Given the accomplishments of the teams and the Initiative thus far, there is much to celebrate. Among those accomplishments is the fact that pre-hearing conferences are expanding statewide and new study findings suggest that such conferences are substantially shortening the time to adjudication. Various changes to court and agency processes have reduced the number of children in foster care while ensuring their continued safety.

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Spotlight Issue

  • PLACEMENT ISSUES UNDER THE ICPC
    By Shon T. Lieske

    If you are like myself and, as I suspect, most attorneys practicing in the area of Juvenile Law, the ICPC is something you have heard of, and maybe even dealt with on occasion, but for the most part, is something that simply slips into the morass of other acronyms that you have some vague understanding of what it stands for, and less understanding of how it applies. In my three years as a practicing juvenile law attorney, I have had one case involving the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), and following the “receiving state's” completion of the home study, my client in that case decided to relinquish her parental rights, and so any further placement issues under the ICPC thereafter, quickly dissolved. Following that experience, I have simply been fortunate that no other case has yet to test my limited knowledge of the ICPC, and how to handle placement under this compact...

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Spotlight Team

  • 12th District - Team 2

    According to Judge Randin Roland, Lead Judge of 12th District – Team 2 of the Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative, team collaboration has allowed cases to get resolved more efficiently and effectively.  His local team of approximately 30 individuals who are involved in the abuse/neglect court system in a myriad of ways, whether through substance abuse counseling, mental health services, legal representation of parents, children, and the county, foster parenting or representing HHS, have been meeting monthly to address systemic and procedural barriers that are impacting children under their care.

    Judge Randin Roland
    Lead Judge Roland and Team Secretary Cherie Smith at the Children's Summit

    Read more …

Latest Caselaw Updates

Search caselaw updates:


  • In re Interest of Elias L.

    Filed on June 26, 2009
    ___ N.W.2d ____, 277 Neb. 1023
    SUMMARY: Under its right to intervene in ICWA proceeding, a Tribe’s designated representative does not have to be authorized to practice law and may fully participate in proceedings.
    The Ponce Tribe of Nebraska made a motion to intervene in child custody proceedings involving Indian children. The [...]

  • In re Interest of Chance J.

    Filed on June 2, 2009
    ____ N.W.2d ____, 17 Neb. App. 645
    SUMMARY: The father did not abandon the child for purposes of 43-292 as he reasonably believed at birth that he was not the biological father of the child, had no contact with the mother or DHHS until the termination petition was filed, and made efforts [...]

  • In re Interest of N.R., et al.

    Filed on May 26, 2009
    Not designated for permanent publication
    A-08-1217
    SUMMARY: The court lacked jurisdiction to terminate parental rights because, after learning of another state’s order establishing the father’s paternity and custody rights, it did not follow the UCCJEA requirements of (1) specifying in the order a period of time allowing the person to seek an order [...]

  • In re Interest of Dannie H.

    Filed on May 19, 2009
    Not designated for permanent publication
    A-08-1007
    SUMMARY: The mother’s consistent and substantial progress in the 17 months between the filing of the termination petition and the completion of the TPR trial make it error to terminate her parental rights.
    Dannie, DOB 10/30/02, was removed from her mother Michelle on April 26, 2004, after she [...]

  • In re Interest of Spencer O.

    Filed on May 15, 2009
    ____ N.W.2d ____, 277 Neb. 776
    SUMMARY: A permanency hearing is required for every child in foster care more than 12 months, even those in delinquency cases. As the result of the permanency hearing cannot include termination of parental rights, it was not a violation of due process not to inform [...]

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