Adult & Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline
1-800-652-1999

The Division of Children and Family Services is responsible for the state’s child welfare, juvenile services, and economic assistance programs through offices located across the state.

Services include child and adult abuse, foster care, adoption, parole and community-based juvenile services, domestic violence, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Employment First, Aid to Dependent Children, Medicaid eligibility, refugee resettlement, energy assistance, child care subsidy, child support enforcement, resource development, and two Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers in Kearney and Geneva.

In addition to its focus on service delivery, the Division currently has two major initiatives:  ACCESSNebraska and Families Matter.

ACCESSNebraska is a new way to administer economic assistance programs and includes on-line screening, application, and change reporting processes.  Four Customer Service Centers, using a universal caseload process, will also be part of ACCESSNebraska.  Through ACCESSNebraska , low-income Nebraskans can apply for benefits any time and any where from any computer that has Internet access.

Families Matter is a multi-year initiative to reform Nebraska’s child welfare and juvenile services.   We believe that children grow best in their own homes, that children should be reunified or moved to permanency through adoption or guardianship in a timely manner, and that families should get services earlier and be offered services after they leave DHHS.  The goals of Families Matter include fewer children made state wards, more children served in family settings, and more timely permanency objectives.