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Committee backs permissive referral route to home visiting to unlock federal funds (LB903)
Summary
LB903 would allow child‑welfare case managers to permissively refer families with children under 2 to evidence‑based home visiting so agencies can bill FFPSA funds. Proponents said referrals are a low‑cost way to prevent deeper child‑welfare involvement; witnesses emphasized voluntary participation and the need to avoid overlap with EDN early‑intervention services.
Sen. Tanya Storer told committee members LB903 creates a permissive referral pathway allowing a child‑welfare case manager to refer at‑risk families with children under age 2 to evidence‑based home‑visiting programs and thereby allow those programs to bill Families First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) reimbursement. The bill does not mandate referrals; it increases awareness and preserves professional discretion.
Desiree Brandt, maternal and child health program manager at Panhandle Public Health District, described pilots in which home‑visiting agencies drew down FFPSA funds after direct DHHS referrals and said the change stabilized program funding and improved family outcomes. "Referrals must come directly from a DHHS caseworker and are made at their discretion," Brandt said, noting earlier pilot experience showed funding and enrollment rose when referrals were consistent.
Home visitors who testified cited high case loads and turnover among DHHS staff as barriers to consistent referrals. Logan Houser, a family support specialist working in rural counties, described cases in which voluntary home visiting helped families remain intact and reach reunification.
Witnesses and senators discussed overlap with the Early Development Network (EDN), which delivers federally required early‑intervention services under IDEA Part C. Storer offered a committee amendment (AM1819) to clarify referrals to EDN and avoid duplication; witnesses from ESUs and Voices for Children supported including EDN in the conversation to ensure compliance with CAPTA and IDEA requirements.
Supporters emphasized that participation in home visiting is voluntary for families and that referrals do not automatically change court processes. The committee received six proponents and no opponents for LB903 in the record; sponsors sought further technical clarifications but expressed optimism about advancing the bill.
