Foster-2026 - foster care

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families awarded the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services $160,984,072 on October 1, 2025, under the Foster Care Title IV-E program (CFDA 93.658) for the period October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Performance occurs in Nebraska.

The award supports the provision of safe and stable out-of-home care for children under the jurisdiction of the state child welfare agency. Nebraska DHHS distributes Title IV-E formula grant funding to counties, local agencies, and nonprofit service providers across the state to administer foster care services, including kinship navigator programs that support relative caregivers.

Sub-recipients delivering services under this award include Nebraska Children's Home Society and Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska Inc., each implementing Kinship Navigator programs in identified counties across Nebraska (sub-awards dated November 5, 2025). A third sub-grantee, Arizona's Children Association, operates the Arizona Kinship Navigation Program Model in Nebraska relative-kinship foster homes under an agreement focused on kinship navigation services (sub-award dated May 8, 2026). A fourth sub-award (dated March 17, 2026) supports comprehensive training, outreach, and mentoring services to current and prospective foster and adoptive parents in Nebraska.

Title IV-E operates as a formula grant; quarterly awards are made based on estimated expenditures and later adjusted to reflect only actual allowable claimed expenditures. The award is effective without plan renewal unless the Title IV-E plan is amended as necessary.