Lancaster County’s Safe and Healthy Families Court has been formally established as a Problem-Solving Court within the Nebraska judicial system by the State Supreme Court.

The Safe and Healthy Families Court, spearheaded by Separate Juvenile Court Judge Elise White, is the state’s first domestic violence-centered child welfare problem-solving court.

The Court seeks to improve child safety through using a domestic violence-informed approach to child welfare cases where domestic violence between caregivers has been adjudicated. The Court’s goal is to strengthen partnerships with victim-parents, provide professional development and education for those engaging with court-involved families, and hold perpetrators more accountable. 

Judge White noted, “The work that we are doing, and the way this dedicated team is approaching the Safe and Healthy Family Court cases is a novel approach in the realm of child welfare.” She continued, “The collaboration and improvements this team has been able to achieve thus far have been exciting to witness. I can only imagine the tremendous impact that this designation as a problem-solving court will have on improving the long-term outcomes for the families we serve, as well setting a standard for a groundbreaking approach to addressing the threat that domestic violence poses to the most vulnerable members of our society.” 

Partnering agencies working with this new Court include the Family Violence Council; Voices of Hope; Friendship Home; CASA of Lancaster County; Child Advocacy Center; and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center on Children, Families and the Law were awarded the Woods Charitable grant of $900,000 to support the Court and the mission of its partnering agencies.