Howard has lifelong commitment to helping kids

Above: Sen. Howard shows an example of “smocking,” an embroidery technique she uses.

Sen. Gwen E. Howard learned about child advocacy when her parents – who already had four children – adopted a foster child.

Howard said her parents’ “commitment to the greater good” inspired her to pursue a career in child welfare and raise a foster child after her two daughters, Carrie and Sara, were grown.

Now she hopes to bring that personal experience to the Legislature.

The Omaha senator was an adoption specialist with the state Department of Health and Human Services for 34 years, up until the day before she took office.

Howard started considering a run for the Legislature two years ago after a meeting with other HHS caseworkers. Employees felt overwhelmed by large caseloads and wanted an overhaul of the child welfare system.

The best way to do that, Howard said, was to elect a caseworker to the Legislature.

After working for a state government agency, “it’s great to have the chance to make changes on this level,” Howard said.

She has introduced several measures intended to reform the child welfare system. The governor has signed one of those bills, LB 264, into law.

Howard credits veteran senators for teaching her how to navigate the legislative process.

“They’re such good mentors,” she said. “I have learned from people with experience and expertise that won’t be here in two years. It will be a big loss.”

Howard said she hopes to be as effective as her District 9 predecessors, whom she admires greatly.

She said community outreach is one of her main priorities as a senator. Because of her background, Howard receives letters from children across the state expressing their concerns and ideas. As part of her legislative duties, Howard is traveling to western Nebraska this summer and hopes to meet some of those children and other people concerned with child welfare issues.

She also will spend the summer preparing entries for the Douglas County Fair.

Howard decorates dresses and baby bonnets with “smocking,” a British embroidery technique.

Her handiwork has earned many purple ribbons at the county fair and the Nebraska State Fair during the last six years, but Howard also makes clothing for pleasure.

She designs wardrobes for dolls in the American Girl collection, which represents eight eras in American history. Howard donates the wardrobes to charity auctions, and bidders have paid up to $300 for her work.

To further celebrate her British heritage, Howard loves traveling to England. One of her favorite parts of traveling is riding the train to each destination and learning the culture from locals.

She has been to England about a dozen times and is often accompanied by her daughters.

Howard said because she was a widow and a single mom, funding overseas vacations was not easy when her children were young. However, she believed traveling was a meaningful way to teach her children about their heritage and other cultures.

Thanks to their early exposure to Europe – and encouragement from their mom to become high achievers – Howard’s daughters have traveled internationally and studied abroad on their own.

“I think anything is possible,” Howard said. “It’s better to put energy into things you can achieve.”