It was just a few years ago when many Nebraskans were unhappy with and complaining about how the Department of Health and Human Services was operating the child welfare system. The decision was made to reform the system and change the culture that was
necessary to move forward. It hasn't been implemented as well as anyone would like, but I don't want to return to the failed practices of the past. Nebraska continues to place children into the child welfare system at approximately two times the
national average. We can and must do better than that.
Your Health and Human Services Committee has provided the state a series of recommendations to begin a conversation about how the courts, the Legislature and the Executive Branch can work together
to develop a more collaborative, a more coordinated and a more comprehensive approach to protecting Nebraska's children.
Together, we need to bring stability to Nebraska's child welfare system. The focus should be on the future & on measurable results
