Out-of-home juvenile placement updates advance

Collection and management of information regarding juveniles in out-of-home care is the focus of a bill amended and advanced from general file March 24.

Introduced by Lincoln Sen. Kathy Campbell, LB265 would make a number of changes relating to juveniles and child welfare, including:
• establishing a pilot project to demonstrate how state agency data can be used by state offices to oversee juveniles in out-of-home care;
• permitting the Foster Care Review Office or local board to participate in a foster care placement dispositional hearing; and
• defining a young adult as older than 18 years old but younger than age 21.

Campbell said the bill contains ongoing refinements to the state’s child welfare system that are designed to provide more accurate information about children in out-of-home care.

“We need these refinements to ensure our systems are workable and accountable,” she said.

A Judiciary Committee amendment, adopted 29-0, replaced the bill and incorporated language from two bills introduced Omaha Sen. Bob Krist.

LB13 would set aside funding for the Community-based Juvenile Services Aid Program to develop a data system and evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The provisions would require recipients to submit annual reports to the University of Nebraska at Omaha Juvenile Justice Institute. LB25, the second bill, would extend jurisdiction of the juvenile court.

Krist brought an amendment to the committee amendment that made technical changes and clarified that the juvenile court could extend its jurisdiction to young adults who were under age 18 when an offense was committed.

The amendment was adopted 28-0 and senators advanced the bill to select file on a 29-0 vote.