Legislature advances bill to allow child-welfare referrals to home visiting programs
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Summary
LB903 would permit child welfare case managers to refer at-risk families with children under age 2 to evidence-based home visiting services, enabling agencies to bill FFPSA funds; the HHS committee amendment expanding early-intervention referrals was adopted and the bill advanced unanimously.
The Legislature advanced LB903, a bill designed to increase access to evidence-based home visiting services for at-risk families by creating a permissive referral pathway for child welfare case managers.
Senator Storer, sponsor of LB903, said the change removes a barrier that prevented home-visiting agencies from drawing Families First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) reimbursements because a formal case-manager referral was previously required. The bill permits, rather than mandates, case managers to refer families with children age 2 or younger; a committee amendment (AM1869) expanded referral authority in some instances to families with children up to age 3 for early intervention services and removed a statutory sentence that had been interpreted to exclude certain nurse-family programs.
Supporters described home visiting as evidence-based prevention that can keep young families out of the child-welfare system. The HHS committee advanced LB903 unanimously and the committee amendment was adopted on the floor without opposition; LB903 was advanced thereafter.