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Testimony on LB 820 – Child Welfare Demonstration

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Voices for Children’s Sarah Forrest testified in support of LB 820, which requires the state to apply for a Title IV-E waiver for child welfare services.

Here is her written testimony:

January 20, 2012

To: Members of the Health and Human Services Committee

From: Sarah Forrest, Policy Coordinator – Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

Re: Support for LB 820 – Child Welfare Demonstration Project

Child safety and well-being should be at the core of our Nebraska child welfare system. Unfortunately, the systems we have designed nationally and here in Nebraska often hurt the very children they are trying to help. This September, Congress passed the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (P.L. 112-34) on a nearly unanimous basis. In addition to providing funds for court improvement and family preservation and support, the act also re-authorizes the opportunity for up to 30 states or counties to participate in a child welfare demonstration project funded through a Title IV-E waiver.

Voices for Children in Nebraska supports LB 820, which requires the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to apply for a Title IV-E waiver as an opportunity for:

  • Comprehensive Reform: Most federal child welfare dollars in Nebraska are restricted for use in out-of-home care. A Title IV-E waiver would allow Nebraska to design a new way to use its federal child welfare dollars, directing more funds towards preventing child maltreatment and providing home- and community-based supports to families. To qualify, Nebraska will also have to adopt at least two child welfare improvement policies.
  • Innovation: A Title IV-E waiver would allow Nebraska to target dollars towards new and promising programs including funding residential centers where parents and children live together while receiving treatment and testing new approaches to domestic violence.
  • Evaluation and Research: The newest round of Title IV-E waivers requires ongoing evaluation and research about the impact of the project. This can help Nebraska capture crucial information that can help make further improvements and state investments meaningful.

There are a number of ways to strengthen LB 820 to increase both Nebraska’s chances of being selected for a Title IV-E waiver and the demonstration project’s effectiveness:

  • Require the demonstration project to focus primarily on prevention and in-home services;
  • Provide for planning and coordination between all three branches of government and ease the timeline for application accordingly; and
  • Allocate funds to DHHS specifically for data clean-up and evaluation and research.

We urge you to advance this bill with the improvements outlined above. We owe Nebraska’s children and families comprehensive reform and a child welfare demonstration project provides an important opportunity. Thank you for your time and attention to this issue. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.


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