Nebraska State Adoption Assistance Program

http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Adoption.aspx

Nebraska’s state-specific medical assistance links:
http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Medicaid-Services.aspx

Nebraska’s adoption assistance links:
https://www.nebraska.gov/rules-and-regs/regsearch/Rules/Health_and_Human_Services_System/Title-479/Chapter-8.pdf

Nebraska Revised Statute 43-117 to 43-118.1:
https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/browse-chapters.php?chapter=43

In Nebraska a child with special needs is defined as a child who meets all three of the criteria below:

1. The child cannot or should not be returned to the home of his or her parents,
2. The child cannot be placed for adoption without assistance because of one or more of the following factors:
   1. Is eight or older (if age is the only criteria)
   2. Is a member of a sibling group of three or more children to be placed together
   3. Has a behavioral, emotional, physical, or mental disability
3. Reasonable but unsuccessful efforts were made to place the child with appropriate adoptive parents without providing adoption assistance. This criteria is not required when such placement would not be in the child’s best interest.

The monthly adoption assistance payment is determined through use of the Nebraska Caregiver Responsibilities (NCR) form, which takes into account the child’s age, needs and caregiver’s responsibilities. The amount must be less than the payment would be if the child had remained in foster care, even if just $0.10 per day less.

The NRC form identifies any of the child’s special needs that require extra work or effort by the caregiver. There are 8 Level of Responsibility (LOR) categories and each has a level of care from L1–basic foster care, to L2–increased involvement, to L3–Highest level of responsibility. Each level is assigned points and some Life of Child categories are weighted higher than others.  Categories 1, 3 and 7 form the weighted score.

The NCR tool can be found here. https://childrens.nebraska.gov/PDFs/MeetingDocuments/
2018/FCRRC/08.24.2018/Handout%209%20-%20NCR%20Update%20(Draft)%2008.24.2018.pdf

Adoption assistance can be continued until age 19 for children adopted at any age.  Extension to age 21 is possible for youth adopted on or after their 16th birthday who meet certain criteria.  

Child care may be included in the adoption assistance agreement and is provided using the Child Care Subsidy rules and regulations. For example, adoptive parents must meet the “need” criterion, which generally means that they work outside of the home or attend school in pursuit of an undergraduate degree. Payment generally does not continue once the child reaches the age of 13, unless the child has a documented special need that results in the need for continuing child care.

Nebraska also offers what is known as a Special Service Subsidy. Funds are allocated on a one-time basis for a specific service or item for a specified period of time. Services or items must relate to the child’s special needs as indicated in the original adoption assistance agreement and are only available if no other program or resource exists to meet the child’s need. 

Nebraska has a contract with the Nebraska Foster and Adoptive Parent Association (877-257-0176 or 402-476-2273) or www.nfapa.org, which provides mentoring and support groups for adoptive families.

DHHS also offers post-adoption and post-guardianship case management services for adoptive and guardianship families of former state wards. DHHS has contracted with Nebraska Children’s Home Society to provide other post permanency services, for more information visit https://nchs.org/post-adoption-services/

Nebraska has a subsidized guardianship program, to read more about visit https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Guardians.aspx

Adoption assistance can continue after the death of the adoptive parent(s) to a designated successor guardian.