CHILDREN AT RISK

of

ABUSE AND NEGLECT

An update on the status of children in Nebraska

1992-2002

 

 

 

Presented by

The League of Women Voters of Nebraska

 

 

CHILDREN AT RISK OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT

An update on the status of children in Nebraska

1992-2002

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The League of Women Voters & Children At Risk .........................   1 

Introduction ................................................................................     2 

The Changing Face of Nebraska’s Children ..................................  3

Children in Out-Of-Home Care ....................................................    6 

The Foster Care Review Board .....................................................  10

Court Appointed Special Advocates .............................................  11

Acknowledgements .....................................................................  12

TABLES

Ethnicity of Nebraska Children, 1990 and 2000 .........................     5

Change in Number of Nebraska Children by Ethnicity ................   5

Placement of Children, 1990 and 2000 .......................................   8

CHARTS

Number & Cost of Children In Care by Placement Type,

1990-2000 ................................................................................   10

 

This project is produced and funded by:

 

The League of Women Voters of Nebraska

The Apothecary, Suite 215

140 North 8th Street

Lincoln, Nebraska  68508

(402) 475-1411

 

October, 2002

 

 

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF NEBRASKA

and

CHILDREN AT RISK

         

 

 

          The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization which encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. The League works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and to influence public policy through education and advocacy.

 

          In August of 1992, the League of Women Voters of Nebraska published a study, Children At Risk of Abuse and Neglect: Services in Nebraska.  The purpose of the study was “to inform readers about the services provided children and their families by governmental agencies charged with protecting and providing care for children who have been abused and neglected.”

 

          As a result of that study, the League updated and strengthened its policy regarding child welfare. Following are some of the major positions of the League:

 

¨      Government services for children should be comprehensive, accessible in all areas of the state, integrated/coordinated, efficient and adequately funded and should provide for accountability.

¨      All reports of alleged abuse and neglect should be investigated.

¨      An appropriate number of investigative workers should be hired...to ensure the safety of children.

¨      Foster families need...training, respite care, access to counseling, adequate financial compensation...access to information about foster children...and regular communication with Child Protective Service workers.

¨      A range of placement options based on the needs of children should be developed in all areas of the state.

¨      The guardian ad litem system should be augmented with volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates.

¨      The State Foster Care Review Board...should be continued.

¨      Family Preservation Services...should be available to at-risk families in all areas of the state.

 

 

 

CHILDREN AT RISK

1992-2002

 

Introduction

 

 

 

          In April, 2001, the Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of Nebraska approved a project to update the 1992 Children At Risk study. The purpose of this update is to provide lawmakers, citizens, and child-serving agencies with an objective examination of changes that have taken place regarding the status of children in Nebraska over the past ten years.

 

It has been a difficult task to attempt to compare services to children in Nebraska from the early 1990’s to the present. Change in agency responsibilities, computer problems, lack of a state agency that is child-specific, all make the gathering of accurate statistical data complicated. Add to that mix the sheer complexity of the child welfare/juvenile justice system, and the waters muddy even further.

         

          Out of the complexity of the system and the sometimes questionable data, we have attempted in this report to offer information to citizens and to public officials which may prove useful when making policy decisions regarding the welfare of Nebraska’s children.  This report is not a critique of the system, but rather a presentation of factual data.

 


          The majority of demographic data in this report is a ten-year comparison from the 1990 census and the 2000 census. Where other time periods are used, a notation is provided.

 

 

 

 

THE CHANGING FACE OF NEBRASKA’S CHILDREN

1990 – 2000

 

 

 

          In order to provide adequate services for Nebraska’s children, we first need to know how many children we are talking about, what they look like, and where they are.  Childhood is a brief and dynamic time, and the children who were counted as “5 and under” in the 1990 U.S. Census are now “15 to 10” in the latest census. There is no specific category for “15 to 10,” so these children as a group have melded into the broader “17 and under” category.  At the next 10-year census, they will no longer be children at all.

 

Fewer Children, Fewer Services?

 

          Children are becoming less of a presence in our state. While the overall growth of Nebraska’s population increased by 8 percent from 1990 to 2000, the number of Nebraska children had an increase of only  5 percent.  Our youngest children, those age 5 and under, actually incurred an 11 percent loss in number from 1990 to 2000.  According to the 1990 U.S. Census, there were 144,935 children in Nebraska age 5 and under.  In the 2000 U.S. Census, the number of children age 5 and under had decreased to 129,692. 

 

          Nebraska is a graying state. The number of Nebraska citizens over age 65 is increasing. Nearly two-thirds of Nebraska households have no children under age 18 in their homes. These statistical realities have implications for our economy, our workforce, and our attitude toward providing expensive services for children.

 

From Blue Eyes to Brown

 

          The face of Nebraska’s children has also changed in the past 10 years.  In 1990, 91 percent of Nebraska’s children age 17 and under were Caucasian.  By the 2000 census, that number had decreased to 85 percent. The trend of fewer Caucasian children as a percentage will continue, as indicated by the number of white children age 1 and under. This demographic group has decreased from 91 percent of all age 1 and under children in 1990, to only 78 percent in 2000.

 

         

 

 

African American and Native American children are maintaining stable percentages in the population, of about 5 percent and 1 percent respectively.  Asian and Pacific Islander children have shown a small but steady increase, and those children of “other” races are also on a steady rate of increase.

 

          By far the largest increase in percentage of childhood ethnicity in Nebraska has been for Latino children. The number of Latino children in the 2000 census is 8 percent of the total age 17-and-under group, increasing to 11 percent for the age 5-and-under group, and another increase to 12 percent for the age1-and-under group.

 

In raw numbers, the largest decrease has been in the number of white children, particularly white children age 5 and under.  There were 24,343 fewer white children age 5 and under in Nebraska in the year 2000 as there were in the year 1990.

 

          The biggest increase in raw numbers of children in Nebraska has been in the number of Latino children. The total gain in numbers of Latino children age 17 and under from 1990 to 2000 was 22,515.  Latino children age 1 and under had a gain in number of 3,582 from 1990 to 2000, while white children age 1 and under had a loss in number almost identical to the Latino babies’ gain – 3,465. (See Tables One and Two)

 

 

Where are the Children?

 


          At the end of December in 1990, 4,832 Nebraska children were wards of the state living in out-of-home placements.  By the end of December, 2000, that number had increased to 6,286.  From 1990 to 2000, the percentage of children living away from home increased by 30 percent, while the general population of children in Nebraska increased by less than 5 percent.

 

 

 

 

Table One

 

Ethnicity of Nebraska children, 1990 and 2000*

 

 

                                             1990 Census                              2000 Census

 

      17-under          5-under           1-under          17-under          5-under          1-under

 

White                    91%            91%            91%            85%            83%            78%

 

Black                      5%              5%              5%              5%              6%              5%

 

Native                     1%              1%              1%              1%              1%              1%

 

Asian/Pacific          1%              1%              1%              1%              2%              2%

 

Latino                     3%              4%              4%              8%            11%            12%

 

Other Race             1%              2%              2%              4%              5%               5%

 

 

 

 

Table 2

 

          Change in number of Nebraska children by ethnicity, 1990 to 2000*

 

                                17-under                    5-under                     1-under

 

Total                    + 21,230   (+5%)       - 15,243  (-11%)           +   635    (+1%)

 

White                    -    9,243    (-2%)        - 24,343  (-18%)           - 3,465     (-8%)

 

Black                    +   3,243  (+15%)       -      414    (-5%)            +     15    (+.6%)

 

Native                   +      706  (+13%)       -      196   (-10%)           +     48     (+8%)

 

Asian/Pacific        +   1,998  (+50%)       +     562   (+38%)           +    303   (+68%)

 

Latino                   + 22,515 (+153%)      +  8,386 (+153%)           + 3,582 (+195%)

 

Other Race           + 11,811 (+187%)      +  4,281 (+181%)           + 1,777   (+45%)

 

*Percentages in Table One do not add up to 100%, and raw numbers in Table Two do not compute to the exact total number of children due to federal standards which permit multiple responses regarding race.

 

 

 

CHILDREN IN OUT-OF-HOME CARE

 

 

 

          From 1990 to 2000, there has been a 30% increase in the number of children in out-of-home care, while there has been only a 5% increase in the number of children in Nebraska. On December 31, 1990, 4,832 children were out-of-home. On December 31, 2000, 6,286 children were out-of-home.

 

          In 1990, the estimated minimum monthly cost for children in foster care was $2,637,671. By the year 2000, the estimated minimum monthly cost for children in out-of-home care rose to $6,361,427.

 

          The amount of federal funding Nebraska receives for out-of-home placement (Title IV-E) is three times the amount of federal funding the state receives for direct in-home services (Title IV-B).

 

          In 1990, 32 percent of children who were out-of-home had four or more placements. In 2000, over 48 percent of children in the system had four or more placements.

 

          From 1990 to 2000, there has been no appreciable change in the ages of children in out-of-home care. Approximately 30 percent of all children in out-of-home care are age 16 or over. This is the largest age group of children in out-of-home care, and this statistic has remained constant over the past 10 years. The next largest age group in out-of-home care is elementary-school age children (6-12), at almost 25 percent of all children in out-of-home care.

 

          From 1990 to 2000, fewer white children as a percentage have been placed in out-of-home care. About 11 percent fewer white children were placed out-of-home in the year 2000 compared to the year 1990; while 1 percent more black children have been placed out-of-home, about 2 percent more native children, and about 3 percent more Latino children have been placed in out-of-home care in the year 2000 compared to the year 1990.

 

Placement Trends

 

          Between 1990 and 2000, there has been an increase of almost 90 percent in the number of children placed in foster care. At the end of

 

 

 

1990, there were 1335 children in foster care. At the end of 2000, there were 2507 children in foster care.

 

          Far fewer children were in permanent pre-adoptive placements in 2000 versus 1990. In 1990, 564 children were in pre-adoptive placements. In 2000, only 212 children were in pre-adoptive homes.

 

          More children are missing. In 2000, the number of children listed as runaways or “whereabouts unknown,” was 118, compared to only 40 in 1990.

 

          The most dramatic shift in out-of-home care has been in the utilization of group homes. In 1990, 346 children were placed in group homes.  By 2000, 1123 children were in group homes, an increase of 225 percent.

 

          In 1990, the three most costly placements were (1) Jails/Youth Development Centers, (2) Residential Treatment Facilities, and (3) Foster Care. By 2000, Group Homes became the most costly placement, followed by Jails/Youth Development Centers, and Psychiatric Care.

 

          For a more complete assessment of the trends of children in out-of-home care, see Table Three and the accompanying charts.


 

Table Three

 

 

Placement of Children, 1990-2000

 

 

This table represents the best effort to define where Nebraska’s out-of-home children resided on December 31, 1990, and again on December 31, 2000. This is a “best effort” because problems with the computer system used by the Department of Health and Human Services have made accurate and timely reporting of changes quite difficult.  Also, there have been some changes in definitions of placements in the 10-year period. For instance, “private institution,” a placement type reported in 1990, is no longer a placement type reported in 2000. Some interpolation and interpretation of the intent of previous reports had to be engaged in this effort. As best as can be done, this chart is listed from least restrictive to most restrictive placement types.

 

The minimum monthly cost of services is based on the least monthly stipend where a stipend is used, and based on average local cost for similar service where a pre-set stipend is not used.

 

Sources for the data in this table include the Foster Care Review Board and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number & Cost of Children in Care by Placement Type

 

Placement Type               # of Children   %Change            Min. Monthly Cost       %Change

                                       1990        2000                              1990             2000

 

Runaway/Missing               40        118    + 195%                 0                 0            0%

Independent Living                       45          62    +   38%  $      9,990   $     21,824      + 118%

Adoptive Home, Not Final    497       189    -   62%                  0                 0            0%

Parent/Relative                751        884    +  17%   $   166,722   $   196,248        +  17%

Foster/Adoptive Home         67          23    -   66%   $     14,874  $       5,106       -  66%

Foster Home                             1335      2507    +  88%   $   280,608   $   555,222        +  98%

Job Corps/School/Other    371        121    -   67%   $     26,640  $     26,862       + .01%

Emergency Shelter                     194        267    +  38%   $     87,300  $   223,746        +156%

Group Home                      346      1123    +225%    $   190,300   $1,932,683        +916%

Child Care Agency             136            9    -  93%   $     85,000  $     55,350       -  35%

Hospital                              33          17    -  48%    $     99,000  $   178,500        +  80%

Residential Treatment      506        224    -  56%    $   316,250   $   385,504        +  22%

Center for Dev.Disabled     19           49    +157%   $       5,225  $   117,600        +215%

Drug/Alcohol Treatment     35             1    -  97%   $   192,500   $       7,500       -  96%

Psychiatric Treatment        40         109    +172%   $   216,000   $   817,500        +278%

Jail/YDC/Public Inst.      417         583    +  40%   $1,162,320   $1,836,450        +  58%

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE FOSTER CARE REVIEW BOARD

1990-2000

 

 

The Foster Care Review Board (FCRB) is an independent state agency not affiliated with the Court or the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. The agency consists of a nine-member State Board appointed by the Governor and approved by the State Legislature that oversees the agency, an executive director, review staff who facilitate local Foster Care Review Boards in communities across the state, and support staff who manage the FCRB’s tracking system, a database of children in out-of-home care. The State Board meets approximately every other month, usually in Lincoln, and meetings are open to the public.

 

          The purpose of the Foster Care Review Board is to comply with federally-mandated permanency and periodic review of children in out-of-home care. Local volunteer Foster Care Review Boards meet monthly to review pertinent information on children who are in the court system and placed out-of-home. The Review Board collectively makes a determination as to whether a permanency plan is being carried out, and whether the child is in an appropriate placement. The Board provides a report of its determination to the judge and to parties involved in the case.

 

          In 1990, nine members served on the state’s Foster Care Review Board.  In 2000, the number had increased to twelve.

 

          In 1990, there were 26 local review boards, who reviewed 1,441 children’s cases, representing about 32 percent of all children in out-of-home care. In 2000, 56 local review boards reviewed a total of 3,648 children, representing about 58 percent of all children in out-of-home care.

 

          In 1990, 4,925 volunteer hours were provided by state and local foster care review board members. The number of volunteer hours increased to 29,027 by the year 2000.

 

          Funding for the 1990-91 fiscal year for the FCRB was $558,679. Funding for the 2000-2001 fiscal year was $1,388,206.

 

 

 

COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES

 

 

 

          Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are trained volunteer citizens who are appointed by a juvenile court judge to provide an independent investigation of a child’s case, visit with the child on a regular basis, provide the judge with a written report, and monitor the child’s status. Court Appointed Special Advocates take only one or two cases at a time so they are able to devote more time and energy to advocating for the needs of the child.

 

Local CASA programs and the Nebraska CASA Association are not part of a state agency, and receive no direct state funding. Local programs are funded by grants, private donations, county governments, and United Way. The Nebraska CASA Association is funded by grants and private donations.

 

          The Children At Risk study of 1992 briefly mentioned the role of the CASA in assuring quality services for children. In 1990, there were only 3 CASA programs in all of Nebraska. The programs were located in Sarpy, Dodge, and Fremont Counties. There were 30 trained CASA volunteers serving the needs of 50 children.

 

          National studies have proven that child abuse cases in which a CASA is involved are resolved sooner, with fewer placements for the child and better outcomes for the child and the child’s family.  The success of CASA programs and the endorsement of the programs by juvenile court judges led to a marked increase in the number of CASA programs, volunteers, and children served between 1990 and 2001.

 

          By 2001, 21 CASA programs were in place in Nebraska serving children in 34 counties, including Douglas and Lancaster Counties.  The number of volunteers increased to 386, serving the needs of 752 abused and neglected children.

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

 

The League of Women Voters of Nebraska wishes to express gratitude to the following resources whose statistical data and technical support enabled the League to produce this report:

 

 

Center for Public Affairs, University of Nebraska at Omaha

 

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services

 

Nebraska Court Appointed Special Advocates Association

 

Nebraska Foster Care Review Board

 

 

 

 

A special thank you to the Social Policy Committee of the League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha: Peggy Adair, Debbie Starr, and Sarah Williams, for their many hours of research, information gathering, design, and production of this document.