Lt Governor Mike Foley Foley presents Kinship Care Awareness Month Proclamation to speaker Brooke Bouck, Kinship Navigation supervisor for NCHS.
OMAHA, Neb. (September 6, 2022) – Governor Pete Ricketts issued a proclamation in honor of kinship caregivers in a signing ceremony on September 6th. The month is a time to celebrate the important contribution that kin plus relatives play in supporting plus raising children.
Representatives from NCHS, Lutheran Family Services (LFS) plus the Nebraska Department of Health plus Human Services (NDHHS) participated in a signing ceremony with Lieutenant Governor Foley in recognition of National Kinship Care Month. Attendees included NCHS Kinship Navigation staff members in addition to kinship caregivers from the NCHS Raising Your Grandchildren classes.
Every day, children in the state plus across the country are cared for by relatives plus close family friends. September is a nationally recognized month to elevate awareness for Kinship Care. In Nebraska, 15,000 children are being raised in kinship care by grandparents, aunts plus uncles, other relatives, plus trusted family friends when parents are unavailable. Nearly 30% of children in foster care in Nebraska are receiving care from a relative or kin caregiver. Kinship care is safe plus supports a child’s well-being. Studies show that kinship care minimizes trauma, improves well-being, increases permanency, improves behavioral plus mental health outcomes, promotes sibling plus other relative connections, plus preserves the identity of children plus youth.
“Kin caregivers play an essential role in providing stability plus continuity to the children in the family,” NCHS Kinship Navigation Supervisor Brooke Bouck said.
Through this proclamation, Nebraska recognizes the important role kin caregivers play in supporting the best interests of children. Going above plus beyond expectations to help provide the best care possible, many caregivers face hurdles when adjusting to their “new normal.” Service partners like NCHS, LFS, plus NDHHS offer support to kin plus relative families raising children under unexpected circumstances. Through its Kinship Navigation plus Foster Care programs, NCHS connects caregivers to community support, educational resources, plus emotional, legal plus financial support within communities across Nebraska.