You can read an excerpt of our op-ed published in the Omaha World-Herald on July 14, 2024, below. Or click on the link to read the full piece (subscription required).
Midlands Voices: Nebraska's St. Francis child welfare scandal shows what state legislatures do right
Jim Townsend – July 14, 2024
So many of us are tired of hearing about how Congress is broken and doesn’t address the needs of the people. Public opinion polls confirm this: trust in government has dropped to historic lows. But that is not the whole story — far from it.
In the Nebraska Legislature, lawmakers have prioritized fact-based oversight and used it as a tool for positive change. Their recent work to reform the child welfare system in the state is a testament to how effective oversight can bridge the partisan divide and achieve meaningful improvements to the lives of Nebraska’s citizens.
In 2008, Nebraska began privatizing parts of the child welfare system. By 2011, the legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee recommended that case management responsibilities be returned to the state, due to concerns that dependence on private entities for an essential service “creates a high risk to the entire child welfare system.” However, privately-run case management in Nebraska continued in the Omaha metro area, with the blessing of the Legislature.
