History of Nebraska Children

In 1997, Nebraska Children was created by a task force of citizens to unite Nebraska communities and government agencies in the mission of protecting our children and preserving their families. Across our state, communities had worked valiantly to aid children and families, but in some areas resources simply weren’t available. In other regions, services were fragmented and fell short of meeting the urgent needs of some families.

Nebraska Children is a legacy of the Family Preservation and Support Act passed by Congress in 1993. The act made funding available to states for the development of community-based services for children and families. Governor Ben Nelson saw an opportunity to improve outcomes for children and families and established a commission to develop Nebraska’s plan.

Nebraska Children is the final product of that commission, as well as task forces and committees that investigated needs, assessed services for families, and developed the original plan. Since its inception, Nebraska Children has focused on prevention services and the goal of having every child reach their full potential.

To date, Nebraska Children has awarded tens of millions of dollars in grants to Nebraska communities. Besides awarding grants, Nebraska Children continues to reach more people every year through a series of family-focused initiatives.

At Nebraska Children, we combine the power of comprehensive public and private support, in direct partnership with local families and communities, to co-create preventive solutions that are flexible and meaningful. This multi-faceted approach is called collective impact. While it’s far more complex than we can succinctly describe, here’s a high-level introduction:

Communities, children, youth and families in Nebraska identify an opportunity to build on their strengths.
Based on their firsthand experiences, we co-create a solution that maximizes potential through programming, systemic change and other forms of support.
In partnership with every community, we continually share feedback and track progress over time to celebrate successes and evaluate the possibilities we’re creating together.