Rare reason to smile about state foster care

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There are so many occasions for tears in the foster care system. The cases sometimes involve instances of unfathomable heartlessness – children beaten until their bones break, malnourished kids neglected in homes reeking of urine and feces.

It’s important that positive moments in foster care be recognized and celebrated.

This is one of those moments. Gov. Dave Heineman and Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Heavican announced recently that the number of children in the foster care system has dropped by 12 percent in the past two years.

The decline to a total of 6,829 children in the system in June reversed a three-year period during which the number of children in the system climbed steadily.

Children leave the foster care system when they move into a permanent living arrangement through adoption or return to their biological parents.

Spending a long time in foster care is often detrimental because children pass from one home to another. The instability interferes with child and adolescent development.

One reason for the improvement is the personal involvement of Heineman, who set out a six-point plan two years ago that focused on finding permanent homes for younger children.

The governor, for example, showed up at least twice at juvenile court proceedings to deepen his understanding of the system. We take it as a mark of genuine interest that he did this without turning his visit into a photo op for news media.

Another reason is the involvement of the State Supreme Court and other judges. The state courts have set up 25 teams across the state to improve the system, and created a training program and guidelines for attorneys who represent children.

Juvenile judges also have accelerated the process by holding pre-hearings within days after a child is removed from a home, rather than waiting for weeks until a formal hearing, Heavican said.

Some advocates have been skeptical whether the improvements will be lasting, and whether the statistical change represents actual improvement in children’s lives.

But the number of children re-entering the system is down, which is a hopeful sign.

It’s also encouraging that state officials have made clear that they do not plan to rest on their laurels. Todd Landry, head of children and family services with the Health and Human Services, said that currently about 70 percent of state wards are in foster homes and other out-of-home settings. The department wants to reverse that, to have about 70 percent in their own homes by 2011.

As Heineman put it, “There’s still more work to do.”