LINCOLN — Advocates for children are raising concerns about a state effort to use Social Security payments owed to foster kids to help defray the costs of foster care — a practice state officials say is completely legal. Since 2009, Nebraska has paid a Virginia company, Maximus Health Services, to research which of the state’s 4,000 foster children might be eligible for Social Security, either due to a physical or mental disability or due to losing a parent, and then go after those benefits.

Over the past three years, the effort has captured about $2.7 million a year in Social Security benefits, which has been used to reimburse state expenses for foster care. The state spent $130 million on all child welfare services in fiscal year 2019-20, which includes both out-of-home care, like foster care, and in-home services.

The state last year signed a $301,500 contract with Maximus to continue finding Social Security benefits through September of 2023. The company has been providing similar services to the State of Iowa since 2004.

For the full article click HERE