By Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska has become the eighth state to join the Administration of Children and Families' “A Home for Every Child” initiative. The initiative aims to right-size the ratio of foster homes to the number of kids in foster care, bringing it closer to a 1:1 ratio.
“The safety and well-being of Nebraska kids is a top priority,” said Governor Pillen. “By joining this initiative, we are strengthening our commitment to supporting families, preventing unnecessary system involvement and ensuring every child has access to a safe, stable home.”
“The Trump Administration is grateful to Nebraska for stepping up to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow in a safe, stable and loving home,” said Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams. “By joining A Home for Every Child, Nebraska will strengthen families, support kinship and foster families, cut red tape and deliver better outcomes for the children who need it most.”
This initiative builds on the work already underway to strengthen the child welfare system and support families before situations escalate. It represents another meaningful step forward in DHHS’ ongoing commitment to child welfare, with a focus on prevention, early intervention and community-based support.
Through these efforts, DHHS is focused on safely reducing the number of children entering the system whenever possible by expanding access to prevention services and strengthening families. At the same time, DHHS is working to increase the number of available foster homes through targeted recruitment efforts, while continuing to support kinship placements that allow children to remain connected to their families, communities and the people they know and trust.
“This initiative builds on the work already underway to improve outcomes for children and families,” said Dr. Alyssa Bish, Director of the DHHS Division of Children and Family Services. “By expanding prevention services, increasing foster home capacity and supporting kinship caregivers, we are working to ensure the right home at the right time for every child, while holding ourselves accountable through greater transparency and data-sharing.”
Central to this initiative is a commitment to transparency and accountability. By sharing data with federal partners for inclusion in a national dashboard, DHHS will track progress and remain focused on achieving key outcomes, including the goal of a 1:1 ratio of foster homes to children in the system.
This work reflects DHHS’ continued focus on strengthening families, supporting communities and improving outcomes across the child welfare system, ensuring children are safely supported at home whenever possible and connected to stable, supportive placements when needed.