Legal & Financial

Caregiver Monitoring May be More Important than Placement Setting in Preventing Substance Use in Maltreated Youth

clewis — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:43:38 -0600

Written by Natasha Elkovich

"Rights and Responsibilities of Foster Parents in the Courtroom" by Judge Douglas Johnson

clewis — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:05:29 -0600

Summary A new federal law mandating that foster parents, pre-adoptive parents and kinship caregivers receive notice of hearings and have a right to be heard in proceedings involving a foster child in their care could lead to more informed judges and better outcomes for children.

"Rights and Responsibilities of Foster Parents in the Courtroom" by Judge Douglas Johnson

clewis — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:58:06 -0600

Summary
A new federal law mandating that foster parents, pre-adoptive parents and kinship caregivers receive notice of hearings and have a right to be heard in proceedings involving a foster child in their care could lead to more informed judges and better outcomes for children.

Caregiver Information Form. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-1314.02

clewis — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:56:46 -0600

Foster Parents/Relative Caregiver may submit written information to the court, and can be heard at review and permanency hearings. This optional form may assist Foster Parents/Relative Caregivers in providing written information to the court. They are encouraged to provide information based only on first-hand knowledge. You do not have to complete every item on the form.

Adoption Credit

jwilliams — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:32:34 -0500

You may be able to take a tax credit for qualifying expenses paid to adopt an eligible child (including a child with special needs).

Changing Medicaid System Could Limit Health Care

clewis — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:21:46 -0500

A watchdog group for low-income Nebraskans warns that some Medicaid reform recommendations could mean less health care for poorer Nebraskans. (Lincoln Journal Star October 19, 2005)

Law and Policy

clewis — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:31:58 -0500

Foster Parents CARE (Child Advocates Resource Exchange) provides legal information and links to various legislative information having to do with foster care, adoptions, Indian Child Welfare Act, Multi-Ethnic Placement Act and many others.

The Children's Bureau page at the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families offers a wide range of information.

Abuse and Neglect

clewis — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:30:47 -0500

Under Nebraska law, citizens are required to report suspected child abuse or neglect to their local law enforcement agencies or to the Department. School officials are often the first line of defense against child abuse and neglect. The regular, on-going contact with children allows for the direct observation of the health status--both physical and emotional--of the children. In the state of Nebraska, school officials are the second largest group to report suspected child abuse.

Abuse/Neglect Hotline at 1-800-652-1999

What is Abuse and Neglect?
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