LINCOLN — More Nebraska children left the state’s child welfare system than entered it during the two years since Gov. Dave Heineman issued directives aimed at reducing the number of state wards.

The governor today called the trend a major accomplishment that reversed a steady climb in the number of state wards.

He also announced a new push to help 550 more children be reunited with their families. All of those children have been in state care for two years or longer.

“While we celebrate the progress that’s been made, there’s still more work to do,” Heineman said.

The new effort will be undertaken jointly by the Foster Care Review Board and the Department of Health and Human Services. They will address individual cases while also looking for broader trends that keep some children in the system.

The governor issued his original directives in June 2006, shortly after the number of state wards hit 7,803. That peak was reached in April 2006.

The number of state wards at the end of last month was 6,829 — a drop of more than 12 percent.

Todd Landry, children and family services director for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, said the drop was accompanied by a decrease in the number of former state wards winding up back in the child welfare system.

“That is a very good indication that this isn’t just about the numbers. This is about moving kids into permanent, safe situations and they are able to stay there safely,” Landry said.

Two years ago, Heineman directed child welfare officials to take several steps:

• Prioritize cases of children age 5 and younger.

• Resolve cases of children still under state supervision, even though they are living at home.

• Find permanent homes for children who have been out of their homes for at least 15 of the past 22 months.

• Work with schools to reduce truancy cases.

HHS identified 1,184 children who fit those criteria as of May 2006. Two years later, more than 80 percent of those initial cases have been successfully resolved, officials said.

Heineman said 317 children were adopted and 644 safely returned home to a relative or other guardian.

In the year after his announcement, 1,545 other children in the system were identified as fitting the governor’s directives. Landry said HHS continues to work on trying to prevent cases from reaching that point.

Last year, when the Health and Human Services System was reorganized into one department, the governor set goals of accelerating the reform of the child welfare system and improving the state’s performance on the federal Child and Family Service Review. That review is taking place this year.

• Contact the writer: 402-473-9583, martha.stoddard@owh.com