The Judicial Branch Court Improvement Project was announced as a partner in the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Children and Family Services five-year grant project with the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, the Omaha Nation, and the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.  The project is designed to reduce the number of Native American children involved in Nebraska’s child welfare system.

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DHHS Awarded $2.5 Million Grant to Improve Collaboration Between Tribes and State

Lincoln – (LINCOLN, NE) –  The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Children and Family Services (CFS) with the support of the Nebraska Court Improvement Project, the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, the Omaha Nation, and the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska was awarded a $2.5 million grant ($500,000 for five years) to support efforts to reduce the number of indigenous children involved in the child welfare system.

The grant will help develop and implement a plan to strengthen best practices in Indian child welfare services to preserve families of federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes; protect children, and ensure that children remain connected to their families, communities, and culture.

Project goals will be:

• Increase compliance with the Federal and State Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)
• Increase tribal capacity to meet community needs around prevention, safety, permanency, and well-being
• Enhance relationships between state and tribal partners

“This grant funding will allow DHHS to continue and improve on our close relationships with Nebraska’s tribes and continue efforts to best serve children on tribal lands and in indigenous communities,” said CFS Division Interim Director Tony Green.

"As a UmoNhoN tribal member and the Director of the CFS and ICWA for the UmoNhoN Tribe, I am happy to hear about the grant. The partnerships we have built with Nebraska DHHS will become stronger through this as well as the partnerships we will build with the Nebraska legal system. These partnerships are important to us, as they are surrounding our children,” said UmoNhoN Director of Children & Family Services and ICWA DeAnna Parker.

“This funding will assist our department in collaborating with our state partners by utilizing a holistic approach in assessing how to increase quality of services and best help our families and community,” said Winnebago Tribe Human Services Director Miskoo Petite.

“This funding will provide for additional collaboration between the Nebraska Tribes and DHHS in order to allow for increased ICWA compliance and implementation of best practices within ICWA cases. The Ponca Tribe is excited to continue and enhance our relationship with DHHS to ensure that the best interests of Ponca and Native families remain a priority,” said Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Chairwoman Candace Schmidt.

“This grant opportunity will strengthen statewide partnerships with the tribes and provide resources for further compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act. The Judicial Branch’s CIP looks forward to partnering with the tribal nations in Nebraska and with DHHS.” – Corey Steel, Nebraska State Court Administrator.

DHHS plans to work with Nebraska tribes to develop a collaborative framework that best meets the needs of tribal CFS programs. A project team will also work to conduct community resource mapping both on reservations and in communities with high populations of indigenous people.

A resource map will help to better identify the resources currently available in each area and develop strategies to improve tribally led child welfare systems and services that promote safe, healthy, and culturally connected families. Additional strategies will include the recruitment and licensing of more indigenous foster homes, culturally based primary prevention strategies, and leveraging existing funding to best meet the needs of children and families.