KVC Nebraska is a private, nonprofit organization that provides a variety of programs and services to meet the diverse needs of youth, families and adults throughout Nebraska. Our mission is to enrich and enhance the lives of Nebraska families.

KVC Nebraska offers foster care, home-based support for people with disabilities, intensive in-home preservation and reunification, in-home behavioral health, substance use evaluation and treatment and educational support services to over a thousand children, families and adults every year.

For foster care, home-based support for individuals with disabilities, and intensive in-home serves, we accept referrals from the State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Nebraska Juvenile Probation. Our prevention and in-home therapy programs accept referrals directly from caregivers, school personnel or other community support agencies.

KVC Nebraska takes the privacy of the families we serve seriously. We comply with all HIPAA regulations and standards. We do not release information to any group or individual without the appropriately signed authorization for release. We do not sell or otherwise disclose information about our clients, caregivers, volunteers or supporters outside of our immediate organization. This policy has no exceptions. We do not sell or exchange your information with any other organizations – public, private or nonprofit.

Read our privacy policy here.

KVC Nebraska counts on community involvement to achieve its mission of enhancing and enriching the lives of Nebraska families and there are multiple ways you can become involved. Please consider becoming a foster parent or Shared Living provider! If fostering or long-term caregiving is not right for you, you can donate or volunteer!

We’re always on the lookout for individuals and community partners who want to take an active role in improving the lives of others and strengthening our communities.

Visit the following pages to learn more about how you can get involved: Donate, Foster Care, Shared Living, Volunteer

Take a look at employment opportunities by visiting our Careers page.

‘Follow’ and ‘like’ us on Facebook to help spread the word!

Donations made to KVC Nebraska are used to benefit hundreds of Nebraska individuals, children, adolescents and families.

Yes. KVC holds several events each year, and we welcome community involvement and volunteering. Visit our Events page to find out about upcoming fun events and training classes we’re hosting near you.

We are always looking for professional and compassionate individuals join our team and help raise the bar in providing quality care! Visit our Careers page for a current list of opportunities.

The need for foster parents continues to grow. On any given day, there are more than 4,000 children and teens in foster care in Nebraska. KVC works to find loving families to care for youth who have experienced abuse, neglect or other serious family challenges until they can safely reunite with their biological family or are adopted by a forever family.

Ready to sign up to become a foster parent? Click here!

The children range in age from birth to 18 years old. The greatest need is for families willing to care for children ages 11 and older. We also have a need for more families to care for sibling groups of two or more children.

First, we recommend that you read all of the information provided in this FAQ and download our free guide, 6 Steps to Becoming a Foster Parent, for details about the process. These resources can help you decide if foster parenting is right for you. Once you’re ready to move forward, please complete this form and our Foster Parent Recruitment Coordinator will reach out to you to schedule a meeting and answer any additional questions you have.

You can also take a look at our blog for more information on becoming a foster parent.

Nope. You must be at least 21 years old with a valid driver’s license and/or reliable transportation. We are looking for loving, caring adults who want to make a positive impact in a child’s life and provide a safe environment. You can be single, married, any sexual orientation, a homeowner or apartment renter. For homes with one licensed foster parent, a max of four children may reside in the home and no more than two children can be under the age of six. For homes with two licensed foster parents, a max of six children may reside in the home and no more than four children can be under age six. Biological children are included in these ratios.

You must be able to meet basic income guidelines and everyone living in your home must undergo a background check. You will also need to meet all the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services licensing regulations and complete the required foster parent training program. If you are married, both partners must complete training and we encourage anybody else living in the home that plans to have a caregiver role.

Read to get started? Sign up here.

If you have a criminal history or history of child abuse and/or neglect, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services will determine if your criminal history allows or prohibits licensure. If you have been convicted of a felony involving abuse and/or neglect of a child, spousal abuse, a crime against a child/children, or a crime of violence you are ineligible to provide foster care. A person who is identified as a perpetrator on the Central Registry or equivalent in any state is ineligible to provide foster care.

If you have been convicted of a felony involving physical assault, battery, or a drug-related offense, you are ineligible to provide foster care for five years after the date of conviction. Any other criminal charges, including driving under the influence (DUI) or misdemeanors in the past five years, will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. If you have been convicted of a crime or crimes that do(es) not otherwise result in ineligibility, then the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services will review the facts and circumstances of the conviction(s) to determine whether you are eligible to provide foster care.

Yes. KVC’s Admissions Department will contact you to request placement of a child in your home, and this is an opportunity for you to ask questions and find out more about the child or children. You may say “No” to a placement for any reason.

If a child in foster care is placed in your home, KVC Nebraska will reimburse you. The reimbursement rate varies and is determined on a case-by-case basis. Reimbursement is paid bi-monthly via direct deposit and meant to subsidize for the care of the child. Each child in the custody of the State of Nebraska will be covered under Medicaid or their family’s private insurance. If a foster family works and requires childcare, their childcare might be covered under Title XX.

Click here to sign up for foster parent training.

We require our foster parents to become actively involved in the work that is done to help a child safely reunify with their birth family. This might involve contact with the family during parent-child visitations, case planning meetings, school meetings and events, court hearings, and many other instances if it is in the best interest of the child and foster family. This topic is covered in more detail during foster parent training. It’s also now a requirement that foster parents make phone contact with the biological parent or caregiver within 24 hours of a child being placed in their home to let them know their child is with them and in a safe place (unless otherwise directed by the caseworker).

Each foster parent has an assigned Foster Care Specialist that will assist with day-to-day questions and emergencies. We are available 24/7 by phone to assist with non-medical emergencies.

If there is a medical emergency, call 911 right away.

The immediate goal for each child is to reintegrate them into a safe and stable environment with their caregivers. The child’s placement in foster care depends on the progress their birth parent(s) and/or caregivers makes with the case plan.

Confidentiality laws prevent us from sharing information about the child once they leave your care. If the child moves to another foster home, the case manager decides whether ongoing contact is in the child’s best interest. If the child returns to their caregivers or is adopted, this decision rests with the child’s birth or adoptive parent(s).

KVC offers monthly trainings, provides information about community resources. KVC would not be able to provide all these resources without donations from the community. Continue reading through to the next section of this FAQ for more information on foster parent training.

If you would like to speak to our Foster Parent Recruitment Coordinator to learn more, sign up today.

If you complete all required trainings, application paperwork, and the home study in a timely manner you could potentially receive a license to take placement within 30 to 60 days of your application submission to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Click here to start the process of becoming a foster parent.

The state of Nebraska requires all potential foster homes to complete a pre-service training called Trauma-Informed Partnering for Safety and Permanency – Model Approach for Partnerships in Parenting (TIPS-MAPP). The TIPS-MAPP class meets once a week for 10 weeks. Each session is mandatory for all adults who will have a parenting role in the foster home.

We host six TIPS-MAPP classes per year, and the majority are offered online as a convenient perk, allowing you to participate from home. During the training, our class leaders will also schedule home consultations to complete in-person visits and support you through the process.

Our training classes are FREE and new classes start in Omaha and Lincoln every 4-6 weeks. Sign up today!

You can also take a look at our blog for more information on foster parent training and stories from real KVC foster families.

TIPS-MAPP class helps build skills for parenting abused and neglected children who have behavioral, emotional, physical and/or educational difficulties. It also helps the participant decide if fostering is right for them and KVC determine if you are able to meet a child’s needs.

All TIPS-MAPP classes are mandatory, although we understand that unforeseen circumstances could potentially arise. Your co-leaders will determine the best way for you to make up the information that you missed, which might include having you make up the class during another TIPS-MAPP session.

Before you become eligible for a foster care license, you must complete several required trainings, including Universal Precautions, Verbal De-escalation, Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standards, Healthy Sexual Boundaries, Human Trafficking Prevention, Suicide Prevention and Car Seat Safety.

Once you are a licensed foster parent, you must complete 12 hours of continuing education each year to maintain your license. These hours must be completed before you renew your foster care license annually.

KVC offers numerous free training opportunities throughout the year to make it simple and convenient for foster parents to fulfill these requirements.

It is recommended to wait to take the TIPS MAPP course if you are not prepared to become licensed within one year.

No. KVC cannot guarantee placement of foster children. There are many children of all ages waiting for foster homes. KVC works to match the needs of the children with the skills, abilities, and preferences of the foster family. To read more about this matching process, read our blog “How Foster Families Are Matched with Youth and Why It Matters.”

Click here to start the process of becoming a foster parent.

Shared Living Providers offer individuals with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities intensive social and independent living skills training in a family setting. Individuals living with a Shared Living Provider help determine their own goals for habilitation and independence. In some cases, individuals receiving Shared Living services may also have a mental health diagnosis or significant behavioral challenges that require therapy, behavioral strategies or other supports as recommended by the care team. Shared Living Providers also provide transportation to appointments to help individuals follow through on recommendations from medical or mental health professionals.

First, we recommend reading all the information provided in this FAQ to better understand the full process and requirements for becoming certified. Next, you can submit this form to complete an application.

The required paperwork includes a screening form, background checks, direct deposit form, voided check or bank form with routing and account numbers, W-9 and a list of references.

You will also need to provide copies of the following: your driver’s license, current car insurance, homeowner or renter’s insurance, completed E-Verify and training certificates.

The rest of the process includes:

1. Initial Interview
   Our Developmental Disabilities (DD) Teacher will contact you to schedule an interview with them and our DD Program Support Specialist. They will ask you questions about yourself and your experience working with the DD population.

2. Background Checks
   After the interview, our DD Teacher will send you a two-step process to complete background checks including an APS/CPS check.

3. KVC Orientation Day
   Once background checks are complete, the DD Teacher will schedule you for an orientation day. This day includes training about KVC, emergency procedures, developmental disabilities, individual rights and more.

4. Formal Trainings
   After you complete the online quizzes with 100% accuracy, KVC’s Training Coordinator will arrange for you to attend the following trainings: MANDT (a two-day training on crisis de-escalation and relationship building), Medication Aide Training and CPR/First Aid/Universal Precautions.

5. Home Visit – Walkthrough/Interview
   Once all training is complete, a KVC Licensing Specialist will visit your home to conduct a walkthrough and interview to assess your strengths, limitations, physical environment, experience, knowledge of the client population and support needs.

6. Certification as a Shared Living Provider
   Congratulations! Once all steps are complete, you will officially be certified as a Shared Living Provider.

No. You must be at least 21 years old with a valid driver’s license and/or reliable transportation. We are looking for energetic caring adults who want to make a positive impact on an individual’s life. You can be single, married, any sexual orientation, a homeowner or apartment renter.

Shared Living Providers may serve up to two individuals in their home. Each individual must have their own room.

Everyone living in your home must complete an initial background check and then annually. You will also need to meet all Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services certification requirements and complete the required training program.

In many situations, individuals with a criminal background can still become Shared Living Providers depending on the type and frequency of charges. KVC follows Nebraska DHHS guidelines when determining whether someone with charges may continue in the certification process.

However, individuals convicted of a felony involving abuse or neglect of a child, spousal abuse, a crime against a child or children, or a crime of violence are not eligible to become Shared Living Providers. Additionally, anyone listed as a perpetrator on the Central Registry or an equivalent registry in any state is ineligible to provide Shared Living services.

Shared Living Providers need:

• A desktop or laptop computer with internet access
• General computer knowledge such as learning new systems, sending emails, adding attachments to emails and similar tasks
• A functioning home phone or cell phone
• Access to a functioning printer
• Access to a functioning scanner or the ability to download the free CamScanner app

Per KVC policy, Shared Living subcontractors are not allowed to subcontract with other agencies or provide Shared Living services to individuals not receiving oversight through KVC. This policy helps ensure accurate and timely care coordination, reduces communication issues, minimizes confusion around differing policies and expectations and lowers the risk of placing incompatible individuals in the same home.

If you currently maintain a foster care license through another agency, please contact our Foster Care Department to learn how to transfer to KVC. We’d love to have you under one roof.

Timelines for placement are difficult to determine. Placement depends largely on the individual’s supervision, support and habilitation needs as well as your home’s experience, skills, ability and willingness to meet those needs. Other factors that often influence placement timing include referral frequency, guardian preferences, home location, medical needs and the need for accessible housing.

Yes. KVC will contact you to request placement of an individual in your home or to schedule an “initial interview” with the individual and their guardian. This meeting is your chance to ask questions and learn more about the individual. You may say “No” to a placement for any reason. Placements are mutually agreed upon, giving the individual and their guardian as much say in the process as you do. An individual can also choose not to live with you as their provider.

This varies greatly for each participant. The goal of Shared Living placements is to provide long-term support. We encourage independence, and some individuals may eventually transition to independent living.

KVC Nebraska has a team of designated professionals to help participants and Shared Living Providers with any mental health or medical questions or concerns 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Once you have an individual placed in your home, you will be assigned a Shared Living Specialist to provide 24/7 support as needed. We ask that non-emergent calls to Shared Living Specialists be limited to regular business hours (Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm). In case of an emergency, you can contact your Shared Living Specialist outside those hours. Our Shared Living Specialists work on a rotating on-call schedule on weekends so there is always someone available to assist.

Providers are reimbursed by KVC for habilitation services, supervision and support. Payments are made on the 10th and 25th of each month. The amount is based on the level of supervision, support and habilitation or behavioral needs of the individual being served. This is determined by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services before placement. Reimbursement typically ranges from $60 to $300 per day.

Additionally, adult participants in KVC’s Developmental Disability program may pay for room and board. This payment goes directly to the provider and helps cover living expenses such as the individual’s living space and a portion of utilities.

All provider trainings are offered once per month. The certification process to become a Shared Living provider with KVC can vary depending on background check turnaround times, training needs and your availability for training sessions.

Alternate care, also called respite care, provides a short-term break for Shared Living Providers. It can be arranged when the provider is out of town, has personal matters to attend to, or needs time for self-care.

The KVC team is happy to assist in finding alternate care options from within our pool of Shared Living Providers. Support staff are another option and help care for the participant. Support staff must complete the same background checks and KVC training requirements as Shared Living Providers before providing care.

If a spouse or another competent individual living in the home will provide care independently, they must be approved as support staff before doing so.

This is determined on a case-by-case basis by the individual’s team and communicated to the Shared Living Provider. If an individual has alone time in the community or for extended periods, it will be specified in the Individual Support Plan created by the participant’s Service Coordinator.

For youth in the foster care system living in a Shared Living Provider’s home, decisions are typically made on a case-by-case basis. Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standards apply.

A Shared Living Provider cannot deny an individual contact or visits with family for any reason including as a consequence for challenging behaviors. Parameters around family visits such as phone calls, supervision, location and timing are determined by the individual’s team which may include the service coordinator, case manager, guardian and/or the judge assigned to the case.

Yes. Shared Living Providers are responsible for transporting the individual to appointments, school or vocational programs and other activities outside the home. Depending on the individual’s circumstances, natural supports such as school transportation may be available.

To be certified as a Shared Living Provider, your home must have a bed in the room available for the individual receiving Shared Living services.

Occasionally, adults with disabilities coming into care will have their own bed, bedroom furniture and other personal belongings. For youth in the foster care system living with a Shared Living Provider, they usually do not have a bed, furniture or major personal belongings. These items will need to be supplied by the provider.

Shared Living Providers are required to provide habilitation and behavioral interventions and electronically document daily progress on goals set by KVC staff. These goals are based on the needs and desires of the individual being served. Daily documentation is required for KVC to bill for services and for providers to be reimbursed. Once an individual is placed in your home, your assigned Shared Living Specialist will train you on how to complete the required daily documentation.