Nebraska oversight finds increase in institutionalized care for kids who need a home

The report said the growing number of children in congregate care, or institutionalized, group care.

Read the full article on KETV 7

‘Crisis level situation’: Nebraska oversight finds increase in institutionalized care for kids who need a home

, Neb. —

A new report finds more Nebraska foster children are getting placed in restrictive facilities.

The Nebraska Foster Care Review Office found a trend of fewer children in out-of-home care, but the number of kids getting put into congregate care facilities, or institutionalized, group care, saw a significant increase in one agency.

“I think a 41% increase in children being placed in facilities is a crisis-level situation,” Monika Gross, executive director of the Foster Care Review Office, said.

The report said the growing number of children in congregate care as of March 2026 now stands at more than 685 kids.

“They are children that have complex needs, and there are not enough homes available to meet those needs,” Gross said.

113 of them are in DHHS Children and Family Services (CFS) facilities.

Last year, there were only 80 kids in this category.

“More than half of the children in these congregate care facilities are placed outside the state of Nebraska,” she said.

The data showed the average age of Nebraska children in a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility was 13 years old this year.

Gross cited the lack of access to mental health services for young people, and also “an urgent need for more foster homes across the state.”

She expects this conversation will make its way into the next state legislative session.

“Increasing our capacity for some of these community-based services that are close to home,” she said, saying it’s not just an investment in the younger generation, but for the future of the entire community.

“It’s much more economical for children to be served in family homes, either their own home or a relative home, or a licensed foster home,” Gross said.

DHHS said in a statement to KETV NewsWatch 7:

“All youth in DHHS custody are court-ordered, including placement type. DHHS does not control number of children ordered to our care. DHHS is continuously evaluating internal state capacity and the needs of youth.”

The state recently rolled out a federal initiative, “A Home for Every Child,” to improve children’s access to a stable home.

Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.