Announcements
- The Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee has just issued its LR 37 report and recommendations regarding the child welfare reform initiative. Access the report here.
- Project Safe Start - Nebraska is currently operating in the Lancaster and Douglas County Family Drug Courts. Funded through the Nebraska Administrative Office of the Courts with a 4-year $1.3 million SAMHSA grant, and managed by the Nebraska Court Improvement Project, Project Safe Start - Nebraska focuses on the needs of infants and toddlers in the child welfare court system whose families have been affected by methamphetamine and other drugs. Infants and toddlers can have profound social-emotional and other developmental impacts due to neglect, as discussed by Dr. Joy Osofsky in a 2009 training for Nebraska mental health therapists. This grant program was recently highlighted in a Lincoln Journal Star article. For more information on Project Safe Start Nebraska or mental health and trauma related services for children ages zero to five, please contact Jennie Cole-Mossman at 402-472-9807 or jcmossman@ccfl.unl.edu.
- The Youth Court Questionnaire has now been released by the Nebraska Foster Youth Council and the Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative as a method for children and youth to provide input in their cases. If you are a Guardian ad Litem, caseworker, Service Coordinator, or someone who works with youth, you are urged to encourage them to complete it. The Youth Court Questionnaire is intended for any youth with an open CPS case, regardless of age or placement, at anytime and as often as they would like, especially since circumstances frequently change. Contact Cassy Blakely with questions at 402-817-2003 or cblakely@nebraskachildren.org.
- The Supreme Court Commission on Children in the Courts developed Guidelines for Parenting Times for Children in Out of Home Care. The Commission recommends that judges use these guidelines when they issue parenting time (visitation) orders for children in foster care. View the parenting time protocol the Grand Island team developed for use in their abuse/neglect cases. For more information on the Grand Island protocol, contact KaCee Zimmerman.
- Studies of Representation of Children and Youth in Nebraska Pursuant to LB 961 (2008), a study of Nebraska's guardian ad litem practices, was undertaken by the National Association of Counsel for Children (Denver, CO), and a study of Nebraska's juvenile indigent defense system in delinquency cases was undertaken by the National Juvenile Defender Center (Washington, DC). Read the GAL report. Read the juvenile defense report.
A Letter From the Chief Justice
Chief Justice Michael Heavican
A look back at five years and what we have accomplished
August 2011
This fall marks the fifth anniversary of the Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative. The Initiative was launched in Nebraska City in September, 2006, when 200 Nebraska professionals gathered together to learn, talk, and plan about how we could do better as a court system in our work with children in our child welfare system. Those present at that first Children's Summit chose the name "Through the Eyes of the Child" to remind us that the child's perspective, needs, and developmental timeline should be front and center considerations as local multidisciplinary teams began their collaborative work in bringing best court and legal practices to their communities.
Upcoming Events
| Time | Event Title |
|---|---|
| Feb 1st | 2nd District - Otoe Team Meeting |
| Feb 16th | 11th District - Team 3 (McCook) Team Meeting |
| Feb 17th | 7th District team meeting |
| Feb 21st | Lancaster County Team Meeting |
| Feb 22nd | Omaha Team Meeting |
| more … |
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Priorities
- Reduce the time to reunification
- Improve systems effectiveness with parents with substance abuse issues
- Improve the use of parenting time to improve permanency
Spotlight Issue
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All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated
by Jennifer D. Joakim
In late August of this year, I had the privilege of attending the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) 34th National Child Welfare, Juvenile, and Family Law Conference in San Diego, California, which was held at the Hotel Del Coronado, a historic resort on Coronado Island. NACC’s stated goal is to ensure that attorneys representing families and children are well-trained and effective. Toward that end, the theme of this year’s conference was “Eliminating Unintended Bias.” The opening speaker was Nell Bernstein, acclaimed writer, award-winning journalist, and coordinator of the San Francisco Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership (SFCIPP). She is also the author of “All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated.”
Spotlight Team
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Seven Nebraska courts celebrate National Adoption Day
On November 19 and 20, 2010, seven courts across Nebraska celebrated National Adoption Day. Judges in Scottsbluff, Norfolk, Hastings, Kearney, Grand Island, Lincoln and Omaha opened their courthouses to finalize adoption and celebrate the creation of permanent relationships of children in foster care to their caregivers. In Norfolk, Judge Ross Stoffer led a celebration that included swimming, laser tag, face painting, gifts and door prizes. An online photo album of the adoptions of eight children in Grand Island which was led by Judge Mac Martin is available here. The Omaha courts celebrated their 11th National Adoption Day where 29 children were adopted.
Latest Caselaw Updates
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In re Interest of Jal C.
Filed on January 10, 2012 Not designated for permanent publication, A-11-262 SUMMARY: Termination of parental rights was proper where the mother failed to make sufficient progress over 2 years in addressing her dependence and parenting issues, and the father failed to put himself in a position to parent due to his incarceration, lack of housing and failure [...]
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In re Interest of Haley P.
Filed on January 10, 2012 Not designated for permanent publication, A-11-606 SUMMARY: The appellant lost in loco parentis status after being incarcerated for almost two years, not providing financial assistance and having no contact other than through letters. Haley, DOB 5/03, was removed from the home of her then-believed aunt and uncle after her brother died from serious [...]
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In re Interest of David M.
Filed on December 20, 2011 19 Neb. App. 399, ____ N.W.2d ____ SUMMARY: An award of GAL attorney’s fees for work performed after the State filed a motion to dismiss prior to adjudication was improper as the GAL lacked the authority to reinitiate the case through a new petition. David, DOB 6/97, Miguel, DOB 9/01, Edwin, 1/05, and [...]
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In re Interest of Kenyetta C.
Filed on November 29, 2011 Not designated for permanent publication, A-11-356 SUMMARY: A preponderance of the evidence established that keeping the newborn with the mother in a prison nursery is contrary to the child’s welfare based on the mother’s past criminal and child welfare history. Kenyetta, DOB 3/11, was removed from the mother, Crystalynn, immediately after birth after [...]
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In re Interest of LaKeiara J.
Filed on November 15, 2011 Not designated for permanent publication, A-11-159 SUMMARY: Termination of parental rights was proper where the father had little contact with the child, would be incarcerated past her age of majority, and has a history of drug use and law violations, and where the child had substantial health needs that the father cannot [...]
