You would be so good at this.

There is a child or teen out there who needs someone just like you. On any given day, more than 391,000 children and teens are in the U.S. foster care system. Through no fault of their own, many youth have faced abuse, neglect or family challenges and were removed by the courts for their safety. Relatives, non-related kin and foster parents provide care and support while these children and teens are in out-of-home care.

Nebraska Foster Care

On any given day, more than 4,000 children and teens are in the Nebraska foster care system. Many youth have faced abuse, neglect or family challenges and were removed by the courts to ensure their safety. Relatives, non-related kin and foster families provide care and support for these youth while they are in out-of-home care.

Foster care offers a safe, supportive space where youth and their families—birth, adoptive, kin or previous caregivers—work through challenges and build skills to help youth safely return home when possible. Many families benefit from support with parenting, overcoming substance use and healing from trauma.

We’re always in need of compassionate foster parents who want to open their home and heart to a child or teen. It’s a meaningful opportunity to find personal fulfillment as you show a youth the love and care they deserve, teach them life skills and give them support. You will experience joy and discover a greater sense of purpose in life. Becoming a foster parent is an opportunity open to people of any relationship status, income level, location or gender identity. Plus, you can foster a child or teen at any stage of life. There are options that work in your life right where you are for exactly who you are. Do you have the heart to help children, teens and families? Say yes, and we will support you every step of the way.

Safe & Connected™ Practice Model

The Safe & Connected™ practice model is KVC’s evidence-based, trauma-informed framework that prioritizes strong partnerships with families. It guides teams through inclusive assessments, critical thinking and collaborative decision-making to prevent adversity, ensure safety and build resilience for youth, individuals and families.

By focusing on meaningful engagement rather than one-time interventions, the model supports health, wellness and long-term wellbeing. It empowers families to participate in decisions, encourages early and family-centered support and creates a culture of learning dedicated to equity and positive outcomes for all.

Becoming a Foster Parent

At KVC, one of our core services is recruiting, training, licensing and supporting foster families to care for youth ages from birth to 18. Youth aged 11 and older have the greatest need for a foster family. These families offer the stability each child needs by meeting their basic needs—such as safe housing, nutritious food, clothing, education and access to medical care—as well as providing supervision, transportation, emotional support, nurturing and guidance.

What matters most is how much you care. We have options that work in your life, right where you are – for exactly who you are.

Foster families are trained in trauma-informed care and take time to understand each youth’s unique background, experiences and needs meeting them where they are and helping them feel safe, seen and supported on their healing journey. Foster families also play an important role in helping each youth achieve safe and timely permanency. KVC staff are on call 24/7 to offer support, advice and crisis intervention to foster parents who open their homes to youth in need. Learn about the process involved in becoming a foster parent by download our guide, “6 Steps to Becoming a Foster Parent.”

Common Questions about Foster Care

What is foster care?

Foster care in Nebraska provides a temporary living arrangement for a child or teen when they are unable to remain safely in their home. During this time, child welfare professionals work to find the most supportive and stable placement—whether with relatives, trusted kin or foster families—while partnering with the youth’s family of origin or prior caregivers to work toward reunification or identifying another safe, permanent option.

Different types of foster care exist in Nebraska to support the unique needs of each child and family. These include:

• Relative Care – Placement with a relative or someone emotionally close to the child.

• Non-Related Kin – Placement with a trusted adult who may not be a relative but has a meaningful relationship with the child.

• Traditional Foster Care – Licensed foster families who care for youth of varying ages and needs.

• Care for Youth with Higher Needs – Some foster families receive additional training and support to care for youth who have more complex behavioral, emotional or medical needs. While there isn’t a separate license for this type of care, we provide specialized preparation and an enhanced reimbursement rate for these homes.

• Crisis Placements – Short-term emergency placements, typically up to five days, for youth with significant needs when a longer-term placement is not immediately available. We use these placements only in exceptional situations, not as routine options.

• Respite Care – Temporary care provided to give a youth’s primary caregiver a break or to help stabilize a placement.

Who is in Nebraska foster care?

Youth in foster care range from infants to 18 years old. The average age of a child in foster care is 10 years old, and there are slightly more boys than girls. The median amount of time that a child is in foster care is just over a year. More than half of children in foster care are safely reunited with their parents or caregivers, while nearly one-quarter are adopted by their foster families. In 2023, approximately 64% of children in Nebraska’s foster care system were reunified with their families within 12 months of entering care.

Why are children and teens in foster care?

Most of the children and teens in foster care have experienced abuse or neglect in some capacity. Each state defines physical, sexual and emotional abuse based on its own laws. Youth enter foster care when those criteria are met to ensure their safety. Neglect can include physical neglect, medical neglect or lack of supervision. Physical neglect includes failing to provide a youth with basic needs like adequate food, clothing or shelter to support their health and safety. Other reasons for removal can include parental incarceration or abandonment.

How many youth are in Nebraska foster care?

More than 4,000 youth in Nebraska are in foster care. The Nebraska Foster Care Review Office actively updates data on the youth currently being served here. According to this report, as of September 30, 2022, there were 391,000 children in foster care in the United States. Most government agencies and journalists attribute the rise, in part, to increased parental substance abuse. Of the 15 categories states use to report why youth are removed from their homes, parental drug abuse has shown the largest increase. Another concerning pattern we’ve seen is the increasing rate of removals due to neglect.

What is the main goal of foster care?

The ultimate goal of foster care is safe reunification.

Foster care offers a safe, supportive space for youth and families to heal, grow and overcome challenges. Many families need help building parenting skills, addressing substance use or healing from trauma so they can reunite and thrive together.

More than half of youth in foster care reunify safely with their families or primary caregivers. When reunification isn’t possible, the goal becomes finding stability through adoption, kinship care, guardianship or preparing for independence.

When you open your heart as a foster parent, you create room for healing, hope and growth—not just for the child or teen, but for their whole family.

Learn more about becoming a foster parent by reading our FAQs.

Additional information:

• Financial Planning Tips for First-Time Foster Parents
• FAQs About Becoming a Foster Parent in Nebraska
• Why Kinship Care Matters: Benefits for Children in Foster Care
• Why It’s Important to Foster Youth on Probation
• How Foster and Birth Parents Can Work Together Toward Reunification
• The Power of Love: Siblings Thrive After Traumatic Early Childhood