LINCOLN, Neb.—Nebraska still falls short at achieving safety, permanency and well-being for children under state care, according to a new federal report.
But state officials on Thursday pointed out improvements in many areas.
The state didn’t meet any of the outcome measures, which are based on a review of 65 cases in three counties. Only three of the 19 states surveyed so far have met any outcome measures.
Meanwhile, Nebraska met five of the seven system measures, which gauge the structure of the entire child welfare system. That’s better than all but two states surveyed so far and the District of Columbia.
“I think what we have here is very much a validation that we’re on the right track as far as achieving a significant improvement in our child welfare system,” said Todd Landry, who oversees child and family services for the state. “Are we there yet? Well, no, of course not.”
The state has more work to be done on outcome factors, Landry said.
The report is based on a year of data collection, case reviews and self-assessment ending September 2007. It covers practices of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, courts and care providers.
Nebraska met standards in staff training, responsiveness to community; and foster and adoptive parent recruitment, training and retention, among others.
One of the state’s lowest outcome ratings was in the length of time it takes for children to be adopted. But more recent data shows the state has improved on timeliness of adoption, Landry said.
Some other problems noted by the federal review:
— High caseloads in parts of the state, high worker turnover and inexperience in supervisory positions;
— Not enough foster homes, especially in rural areas;
— Lack of sufficient mental health and substance abuse treatment resources.
Landry said the areas needing improvement weren’t a surprise, and the state is working on a plan, which must be completed June 11.
States aren’t penalized for failing to meet the measures, Landry said.
“If a state does not complete its program improvement plan, there could be penalties associated with that,” he said.
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