MEDIA CONTACT
Gillian Daniel, (402) 471-6585,
gillian.daniel@nebraska.gov
Lincoln, NE – The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is proud to announce the Division of Children and Family Services (CFS) Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) Title IV-E Prevention program updated five-year plan has been approved by the Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau.
The FFPSA was passed on February 9, 2018, to create flexibility of federal funding to provide services for children and families at risk of entering the child welfare and foster care systems. Nebraska recently submitted an amended Title IV-E Prevention/FFPSA Plan.
The amendment, approved June 2, 2026, with an effective date of April 1, 2026, adds the following evidence-based services:
- Familias Unidas
- Family Check-Up
- Fatherhood is Sacred/Motherhood is Sacred
- Family Spirit
Healthy Families America, Parents as Teachers, Family Centered Treatment, and Motivational Interviewing also remain in Nebraska's FFPSA plan as approved evidence-based practices (EBPs).
Each of these EBPs offers services that provide early intervention and strengthen family connections. The addition of these programs reinforces DHHS's Right Home, Right Time, which outlines prevention as one of three core pillars. Prioritizing support at home through prevention and family preservation services helps to prevent unnecessary entry into the foster care system.
The new plan also includes an updated candidacy definition that allows families to access these services through a community pathway without formal CFS involvement. The Nebraska 211 Warmline will be a core access point when fully implemented statewide in January 2027.
For more information on Nebraska's FFPSA plan, visit: https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Family-First-Reports-and-Documents.aspx#docaccess-e90505c4039649a71a26b4a8b27ac701.
To learn more about family preservation and child welfare prevention, visit: https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Family-preservation-and-child-welfare-prevention.aspx.
Visit https://uwm211.org/211-ne-warmline/ for updates on the 211 Warmline implementation.