OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A public watchdog of Nebraska’s child welfare services is recommending that state officials end their practice of having a private contractor manage cases in the Omaha area.
The Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare made the suggestion in a special report focused on St. Francis Ministries, a provider that has faced major financial problems after winning a state contract in 2019.
Nebraska officials negotiated a new contract with St. Francis in January to prevent the provider from running out of money.
The inspector general’s report says Nebraska should terminate its contract with St. Francis, arguing that the provider hasn’t met several of its contractual obligations over the last two years.