Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Courtesy
LINCOLN — The Department of Health and Human Services is excited to announce Nebraska as one of the first states in the country to acknowledge relative and kinship caregivers with the same level of financial assistance as non-relative/kinship caregivers.
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently passed a new regulation requiring states to provide the same financial assistance to kinship caregivers as other licensed caregivers. For decades, Nebraska has provided kinship foster care providers the same benefits as non-relative/kinship providers. Nebraska’s longstanding commitment to a kin-first approach, prioritizing relative and kinship placement and equal reimbursement sets our state apart from others and ensures children remain connected to their culture and family traditions.
Relative and kinship caregivers are individuals who have a significant relationship with the child, such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle, close family friend, neighbor, or teacher. Nebraska currently has approximately 850 relative and kinship caregivers who have said yes to helping a child in need. It is estimated that more than 14,000 children are living with a kinship caregiver in Nebraska, outside of the state foster care system. Relative and kinship caregivers face unique challenges in caring for children in an emergency situation often without warning or preparation. Robust support services and financial assistance ensures relative and kinship caregivers have what they need to provide for the children in their care.
Along with the final rule on equal compensation, ACF also finalized a regulation that allows states to adopt separate licensing or approval standards for relative and kinship foster family homes. This new rule allows states to simplify the licensing and approval process, considering the needs of relative and kinship caregivers. On April 17, 2024, ACF approved Nebraska’s plan to utilize a separate relative and kinship approval process. This new plan focuses on safety and simplifies the process for federal claiming, allowing Nebraska to draw down additional federal dollars for critical child welfare services.