Nebraska Ranked Third Nationally for Prioritizing Placement with Relatives or Kin
On September 1, Governor Jim Pillen proclaimed September as Kinship Care Month, honoring the relatives and trusted adults who open their homes and provide care for children when they cannot safely remain in their parents’ care.
When removal from a parent’s care is necessary, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) works to find the right home, at the right time, for each child. Whenever it is safe and appropriate, placing children with relatives or kin helps them remain connected to the people, communities, and relationships that are important to their stability, identity, and sense of belonging.
Kinship care can include care provided by grandparents, aunts and uncles, adult siblings, extended family members, or other adults who have an established and meaningful relationship with a child.
As part of the Right Home, Right Time framework, DHHS has prioritized identifying relatives and kin who can provide safe, stable homes for children when removal from their parents’ care is necessary. Nebraska is ranked third nationally for prioritizing placement with relatives or kin, reflecting the state’s commitment to keeping children connected to family whenever it is safe and appropriate.
Over the past year, DHHS has worked to bring relative and kinship homes back under the department, strengthening the agency’s ability to identify, assess, and support relatives and kin willing to care for children.
“Kinship care is possible because families are willing to step forward when a child needs them, and because dedicated workers and community partners are there to support those families along the way,” said Children and Family Services Director Dr. Alyssa Bish. “We are grateful to every grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, relative, and trusted adult who opens their home and makes a commitment to a child. Their willingness to say yes can provide a child with safety, stability, and the continued connection to family that matters so much.”
Kinship caregivers provide more than a safe place for children to live. They can help preserve family relationships, traditions, cultural connections, community ties, and a child’s sense of belonging during a difficult and uncertain time.
As we celebrate Kinship Care Month, DHHS continues to work with families and community partners to strengthen kinship care and ensure that children have access to safe, supportive homes when they need them most.