Bill would expand, create protocols for child advocacy centers

Senators advanced a bill from general file Feb. 27 that would expand and create protocols for the state’s seven child advocacy centers.

Under LB993, introduced by Omaha Sen. Brad Ashford, each county child advocacy center must have a location for conducting forensic interviews and medical evaluations for alleged child victims of abuse and neglect.

The bill would require that each county have protocols to:
• outline mandatory reporting of child abuse;
• define the roles and responsibilities of law enforcement, child protective services and other response agencies; and
• ensure that coordination of these teams is occurring at all levels of the community response.

The bill also would require advocacy centers to report the name and address of each team member and the number of times the team met within a calendar year to the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.

The increased services at the centers are estimated to cost $870,000.

Ashford said the advocacy centers serve a critical function in reviewing the most serious cases of child abuse and neglect.

“Without these child advocacy centers, these children are placed in other facilities—including detention facilities—because there is no place to put them,” Ashford said. “With the expansion [of facilities] provided in the bill we will be able to serve every one of these children in a child advocacy center.”

“It has become clear to me that these centers are beyond critical for child welfare reform,” he said.

Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop supported the bill. When a child enters the system, Lathrop said, the centers immediately coordinate with stakeholders to reach positive outcomes for the children.

“LB993 is an improvement upon what we are doing well,” Lathrop said.

Kearney Sen. Galen Hadley also spoke in support of the bill, saying he was concerned about the lack of communication between the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and law enforcement. When the most recent information is not available to law enforcement, Hadley said, child abuse investigations can be hindered and can sometimes result in the death of an abused or neglected child.

“I think this bill goes a long way in trying to work on that issue,” Hadley said. “I am very happy [the bill] outlines how reports will be shared between law enforcement and DHHS.”

Omaha Sen. Brenda Council introduced an amendment that would have required the centers to conduct psychological evaluations of allegedly abused children.

Many of the children entering the centers are suffering from abuse, neglect and other emotional issues, Council said, so the state should conduct psychological evaluations in addition to the forensic interviews and medical evaluations proposed in the bill.

Holdrege Sen. Tom Carlson spoke in opposition to the amendment, saying that the evaluations could incur additional costs.

Council disagreed, saying the amendment would have no additional fiscal impact because the evaluations already are being conducted. She later withdrew the amendment, saying she did not want it to hinder the bill’s advancement.

Council also introduced, and later withdrew, an amendment that would have required procedures for the centers’ coordination, development, implementation and monitoring of “structured decisionmaking assessments.”

Senators voted to advance LB993 on a 41-0 vote.