Nebraska Child Laws
- Nebraska has a number of laws protecting children.Nebraska state contour against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
Nebraska has a variety of laws regarding the health, welfare and safety of children. Knowing the law is important for a variety of groups, including parents, foster caretakers and those interested in adoption. - Nebraska has a safe haven aw that made national news when it was first passed. The law prohibits parents from being prosecuted for abandonment if they bring their child to a place designated as a "safe haven." The law defines safe havens as licensed hospitals. Hospitals must then turn the child over to child protective services who then look after the child. When originally passed, the law did not provide for an age limit for dropping off children. The law was modified several months later setting a maximum age of 30 days on children dropped off under this law.
- Nebraska laws specify the requirements to adopt a child. Nebraska law stresses that adopted children are part of the families that adopt them. Adoptive parents are required to cooperate with necessary therapy for the child, maintain confidentiality about your adoptive child's background and help your child by having a positive attitude toward her background, history and birth family. Nebraska law also demands adoptive parents be ready to field questions from their adoptive children regarding the adoption process, how the child was placed and why she cannot return to her birth family.
- Nebraska state law also provides for requirements for those seeking to become foster parents. Foster parents must, above all, be capable of caring for the child they are taking in. They must be willing to work with social workers and the child's biological parents in a manner that benefits the child. Foster parents must not be financially dependent on the foster payment they receive from the state. Finally, foster parents must be prepared to aid the physical and mental development of children in their care.
- Children under the age of 18 must wear seat belts in Nebraska. Children under the age of six are required to sit in federally-approved safety seats for children. Nebraska law prohibits children from riding in the cargo area of a truck.
