FOSTER CARE REVIEW OFFICE

The Nebraska Foster Care Review Office (FCRO) is an independent state agency responsible for overseeing the safety, permanency, and well-being of children in out-of-home care in Nebraska. Through a process that includes case reviews, data collection and analysis, and accountability, we are the authoritative voice for all children and youth in out-of-home care. The FCRO submits a report, including policy recommendations, to the Legislature each quarter and culminating with a comprehensive annual report each September 1. Reports can be found on this website under Publications on our website. Ultimately, our mission is for the recommendations we make to result in meaningful change, great outcomes, and hopeful futures for children and families.

Cases reviewed by the FCRO include children in out-of-home placement or trial home placement in the custody of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), children/youth in out-of-home care under the supervision of Juvenile Probation, and the cases of young adults ages 19-21 that are enrolled in the Bridge to Independence Program.

The FCRO has 53 community-based local citizen review boards statewide. Each board consists of 5-7 trained volunteers who review 4-5 cases each month and make recommendations to courts and legal professionals about necessary actions and next steps required in each case. Local review boards reviewed over 4,300 cases in fiscal year 2020-2021.

On April 20, 2022, in recognition of the Foster Care Review Office's 40 years of service and the work of the volunteer board members, Legislative Resolution 441 was passed by the Legislature of Nebraska in the One Hundred Seventh Legislature, Second Session. The Legislature congratulated the Foster Care Review Office for 40 years of pursuing meaningful change, great outcomes, and hopeful futures for children in foster care.

The Foster Care Review Office has 53 Review Boards in NE.  51 Child Welfare Review Boards and 2 Probation Review Boards. These are Citizen Review Boards. The FCRO was put in place by the Legislature in 1982 to provide oversight of the Child Welfare system, and we now also review the cases of youth in out of home care through juvenile probation. Each Review Board reviews the cases of children / youth placed in out of home care. Each Review Board has 5-7 members who are trained to review cases. The board meets once a month.  If you are interested in volunteering to serve on a local foster care review board, please apply on our website to be a Review Board Member.