Back row, left to right; Sarah Helvey, Schalisha Walker, Dr. Alger M. Studstill, Jr., Front row, left to right: Jennifer Skala, Emily Kluver, Jennifer Wallage
Nebraska Leadership On a fundamental level, this shift to reduced out-of-home care was possible because leadership from the Children and Family Services (CFS) division within the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) understood that child welfare wasn’t just the responsibility of the government, but rested within communities, as they know best what is needed for their own individual communities. DHHS and stakeholders also recognized that removing children from their homes and families causes trauma. Additionally, the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (Nebraska Children) has served as the backbone organization for this effort. Nebraska Children was created in 1997 and serves as Nebraska’s delegate agency for Community Based Child Abuse Prevention and as the local Prevent Child Abuse American chapter. The purpose of Nebraska Children was to create a public and private partnership to strengthen and preserve families. Since then, Nebraska Children continues to bring public and private partners together, including the: • Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) • Courts and Juvenile Probation • First Lady of Nebraska • Legal Aid of Nebraska • Nebraska Department of Labor and Department of Economic Development
FIJ Quarterly | Summer 2022 | 103
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