From the Policy Desk... May is National Foster Care Month, and this year's theme is “Engaging Youth. Building Supports. Strengthening Opportunities.” The goal of the month is to raise awareness about authentic youth engagement, the importance of life-long connections, and how to best support youth as they transition out of foster care. An effective child welfare system should strengthen families and minimize trauma through timely and appropriate action, prioritizing families strengths and ensuring that when removal is necessary, children retain ties to their family, culture, and community. Best practices are to keep children with extended family or other trusted adults, Did you know that in Nebraska in 2022... -5,341 children received out-of-home services for at least some part of the year; -54.2% of children in foster care were placed with relatives or kin; -82% of children were in a placement with at least one of their siblings, but only 62% were placed with all their siblings; and -20.8 months was the mean length of time children spent in out-of-home placement, but 35.5% of American Indian children in care and 40.8% of Black children in care spent more than 25 months before exiting care? As a state, we can still do more to ensure that children aren't removed into care unnecessarily - and in those cases where it is needed for safety, that children entering foster care are placed with family or trusted kin, with their siblings, and don't linger in out of home placements. |
