Out-of-Home Reform

The following lead agencies have contracted with NFAPA.

Boys and Girls Homes of Nebraska (Western, Northern, Central Service Areas)

NFAPA Membership
Inquiry Line
Spaulding (Making the Commitment to Adoption) Training
PRIDE (pre-service) Training
Recognition & Retention Events
In-Service Training
Kin-Nect Orientations
FOCUS Network

Visinet (Southeastern, Eastern Service Areas)

NFAPA Membership
Inquiry Line

Cedars (Southeastern Service Area)

NFAPA Membership
Inquiry Line
Spaulding (Making the Commitment to Adoption) Training

NFAPA Membership includes our website, bi-monthly newsletter, guidebooks, FOCUS Mentor Program, Exit Survey, conferences, Kits for Kids, Kids Kloset, Kin-Nect Line and Respite Program. This entitles families with memberships paid to attend the foster parent conferences at a discounted rate of $40 per person, which includes meals and room (for those living 45 miles or more away from the conference site).

For those who do not have memberships paid, the cost of the foster parent conference will be $275 plus the cost of the room.

Please visit the following websites:

Boys and Girls Home: http://www.boysandgirlshome.com/

Visinet: http://www.visinetinc.com

Cedars: www.CEDARS-kids.org

Help for post-adoptive parents and guardians is just around the corner. Lutheran Family Servies of Nebraska and Nebraska Children's Home Society have joined together to create right turn, a new collaborative program to provide help to families who have adopted or entered into guardianship. Please click on the logo for further infomation or go to www.rightturnne.org

Arrows (animated) It is that time of year again! Many foster & adoptive parents call the NFAPA office asking questions about taxes. We love to hear from you Smile (animated) . We can direct you to information or have you talk with Kim who is a foster parent and does taxes! We did have a foster parent forward some information he found helpful. So we are listing it here for you too! Please call the office at 877-257-0176 for further questions. http://nfpaonline.org/uploads/2009_federal_tax_benefits.pdf

CONFIDENTIALITY REMINDER:

DO NOT PUT FOSTER CHILDREN'S PICTURES ON FACEBOOK??

AS RESOURCE PARENTS, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING THE CHILDREN AND FAMILES WE SERVE CONFIDENTIAL. WE ARE FINDING THAT MANY FOSTER FAMILIES ARE PLACING PICTURES OF THEIR FOSTER CHILDREN ON THEIR FACE PAGES. THAT IS A BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY, AND CAN BE CAUSE FOR LOSS OF LICENSE.

1-007.06 RELEASE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND IDENTIFYING INFORMATION REGARDING WARDS
No photograps or slides, electronic, video, or other identifying nformation regarding a Department ward may be release for use on posters, in news stories, presentations, press releases, newsletters without the written consent of the child's worker and agreement of the parent, if parental rights are intact.
in deciding whether to give consent, the worker will consider:

Legal status of parental rights;
The child's opinion and wishes;
Purpose and use of material;
Effect of us on child and family.

If a situation is questionable, consent shouldn't be given.

Whats Happening in the Court System: Lancaster County

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been working with the Lancaster County Court Judges, County Attorney GAL's, CASA, FCRB, Parents Attorneys, and others as part of, "Through the Eyes of a Child" Initiative meetings with the courts.

In Lancaster County, starting April 1, children will be expected to attend dispositional and review hearings. All ages, as appropriate. It is presumed the child/youth will be at their court hearing unless it is determined by the HHS worker in consultation with the GAL that the child should not attend. HHS has responsibility to get the children to court. Foster parents, providers will be asked to transport youth to the hearings. In cases where that is not possible, HHS staff will be responsible for transporting.

The issue of getting kids to court is one that other judges are also starting to look at as part of the change and improvement. It is hopeful that other courts around the state may sometime in the future also want to have children at court if the children are not already attending.
The fact that children will be required to attend court hearings should facilitate Resource Parents receiving notice of court hearings and hopefully, the opportunity to be heard in court.

AS RESOURCE PARENTS, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING THE CHILDREN AND FAMILES WE SERVE CONFIDENTIAL. WE ARE FINDING THAT MANY FOSTER FAMILIES ARE PLACING PICTURES OF THEIR FOSTER CHILDREN ON THEIR FACE PAGES. THAT IS A BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY, AND CAN BE CAUSE FOR LOSS OF LICENSE.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been working with the Lancaster County Court Judges, County Attorney GAL's, CASA, FCRB, Parents Attorneys, and others as part of, "Through the Eyes of a Child" Initiative meetings with the courts.

Caregiver's Form

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