LINCOLN- Wage increases have helped Nebraska retain child welfare workers, and around 105 new employees have been hired this year, but a multitude of vacancies are still hurting the state.

The state recently took over case management from Saint Francis Ministries, but only around 40% of Omaha caseworkers have caseloads that comply with statutory requirements.

Gov. Ricketts stated that noncompliance with caseload requirements is what prompted Nebraska to cut ties with Saint Francis Ministries.

St. Francis was awarded a five-year contract with the state in 2019, and despite being given an additional $110 million in emergency state funds, still failed to meet the requirements expected of them by Nebraska.

Both Gov. Ricketts and Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh urged Attorney General Doug Peterson and his office to investigate whether the state was a victim of fraud by Saint Francis.

Stephanie Beasley, director of children and family services for DHHS, stated that the 105 new employees are in various stages of the required 14-week training, but that once they pass, it will help alleviate caseload noncompliance.

Since 2019, child welfare cases in Nebraska have increased by about 29%, which has made it a real challenge for the state to keep up.

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