Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative

The state hammered back after another scathing review of its child welfare system, with Health and Human Service officials saying help is what's needed, not criticism. The latest review came Thursday from the Foster Care Review Board, which said many of the 4,400 Nebraska children in out-of-home care may be in jeopardy. The group joins a chorus of criticism from advocacy groups, foster parents and biological parents about the state's move to privatization. Placement concerns are just one of a number of issues the review board detailed in its annual report, which reviewed 3,500 cases. It said the safety of a significant number of children can't be determined because documentation on placements, visits and medical records is missing. "That's why we're calling for everybody to get data updated in January and make sure those children are safe," said the review board's Carol Stitt. [...]
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Shifting child welfare duties from state workers to private contractors has not improved the lives of Nebraska's foster children, a new report shows. The shift made some conditions worse, produced no change in others and created several new concerns, according to the state Foster Care Review Board. The board released a report on the state's child welfare reform effort Thursday, along with its annual report for 2009. Carol Stitt, the board's executive director, said correcting the systems' problems is critical for children in foster care. “These children don't have a do-over” for their lives, she said. Todd Reckling, state director of children and family services, took issue strongly with the board's findings and its call to slow down the reform. [...]
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The Foster Care Review Board on Thursday released more evidence on the problems with state child welfare reform. A new report outlined issues with the safety of foster children, accountability, implementation and decreased capacity with the new system to serve families. There's no evidence at this point that past problems with foster care have been aided by reform, the report said. Hours after the report was released, a Health and Human Services Department director accused the review board of focusing on past policies and advocating a return to old practices. Todd Reckling, director of Children and Family Services, disagreed with the review board's data and its assessment of the reform effort -- which HHS now refers to as "Families Matter." Department data demonstrates positive changes have taken place in the initial stages of reform, he said. "That data shows children are safe, more families are receiving services, and that fewer children are in out-of-home care," he said. By contrast, the new Foster Care Review Board report shows a general lack of improvements in the system -- and worsening in some areas, such as documentation of placements and safety, and numbers of adoptions. Carol Stitt, review board executive director, said the data speaks for itself. [...]
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Key Nebraska lawmakers expressed doubt and disappointment Tuesday about plans to replace state child welfare workers with private contractors. The departing chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, State Sen. Tim Gay of Papillion, called the plans “pretty vague.” A potential new committee chairwoman said the state seems to be rushing changes to a system that has been buffeted by repeated shocks in its first year. “I think we have a very fragile phase one that we have not worked out all the kinks to that system, and we're scrambling to go to phase two,” said State Sen. Kathy Campbell of Lincoln. But state officials said they intend to “stay the course” with their overhaul effort. That includes proceeding to eliminate state jobs and have private agencies take over most of the work of ensuring the safety and well-being of abused and neglected children. [...]
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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.

Matthew Headley, JD, Madison County Deputy Public Defender

INTRODUCTION:

I am a Nebraska fan and have been one my entire life. After the Husker’s heart-breaking loss to Texas a week before I went to Austin for the Achieving Equity for Children and Family Conference put on by the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC), I was a little reluctant to tell anyone that I was from Nebraska. However, by the end of the conference, I had learned that no matter if you wear the burnt orange or you are part of the Big Red, children, parents and the juvenile system are similar all over the United States.

Graduate students from the University of Nebraska at Omaha ( UNO ) Capstone in Management Information Systems course will demonstrate the secure online video interview distribution system ( VIDS ) prototype they created this semester for Project Harmony at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, inside the atrium of the University of Nebraska Peter Kiewit Institute, 67th and Pacific Streets. The course, based in UNO’s College of Information Science and Technology, consists of a student-executed, real world information system project to benefit the community by leveraging students’ skills honed during their academic program toward a Master’s of Information Systems degree. The 13 graduate students, under the direction of faculty member Dr. Gert-Jan de Vreede, worked with Deb Anderson and Patrick Falke of Project Harmony to develop the VIDS prototype. Project Harmony representatives will also be on hand during the Dec. 9 prototype presentation at UNO. [...]
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Filed on November 30, 2010
18 Neb. App. 679, 791 N.W.2d 343
SUMMARY: There is no exception to making “active efforts” as there is for reasonable efforts under the aggravated circumstances exception of N.R.S. 43-283.01
On September 30, 2008, Jamyia M., was removed from the home at 2 months of age after being hospitalized for a serious, non-accidental [...]

State senators and children's advocacy groups said Tuesday they are cautiously optimistic about a state agency's plan to move forward with reforming Nebraska's child welfare system but continue to question the quick pace of the reform. Officials with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services met with state lawmakers Tuesday during a meeting of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee to discuss the agency's report on plans to further privatize foster care and other child welfare services. Last November, the state began to transfer control of those child and family services to independent contractors. But since April, the state has lost three of its five contractors due to financial concerns, and at least two of the companies said the state wasn't paying them enough. That has left the state with only two providers. Child advocacy groups and even a county attorney have slammed the changes, saying they have led to confusion and poor service. The agency's plan to transfer day-to-day case management from state workers to the private companies by Jan. 3 is too soon and risky, many have said. [...]
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If not for a smart phone and laminated duty charts, life at the Schindler house could dissolve into chaos. The electronic device is needed to keep track of which of Heather and Lincoln Schindler’s children has to be where at a certain time. The duty charts keep those same children from forgetting whose turn it is to wash dishes, vacuum the floor or take out the trash. Most of the time, the Schindlers’ rambling house in Norfolk is home to seven children ranging in age from 17 to 3. Now and then, a child — or children — needing foster care joins the mix, as do children from each of the Heather and Lincoln Schindler’s previous marriages. [...]
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