Lutheran Family Services Nebraska Kinship Navigation Program

You have a grandchild sleeping in your spare bedroom, a stack of forms you don't understand, and no idea who to call first. Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska runs a free Kinship Navigation program built for exactly this moment — and it is one of the best starting points available to relative caregivers in the state.

What the LFS Kinship Navigation Program Actually Does

Lutheran Family Services (LFS) operates a statewide Kinship Navigation program funded through Nebraska DHHS. The program serves grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and family friends who are raising children outside the formal foster care system — meaning the child is not a state ward and DHHS did not place them with you through a court order.

The toll-free helpline is 1-833-572-2053, and services are available through the LFS website at onelfs.org.

Here is what navigators provide:

• Intake and needs assessment — a navigator walks through your situation and identifies which benefits, legal tools, and support services apply
• Referrals to financial assistance — help connecting to Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) child-only grants, Kids Connection Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs through ACCESSNebraska
• Peer support groups — scheduled group sessions where kinship caregivers share strategies, frustrations, and wins with others in similar situations
• School and medical advocacy referrals — direction to the right district contact for NDE Rule 19 enrollment or to Legal Aid of Nebraska if your situation requires court intervention
• Material support connections — links to community resources for clothing, school supplies, and basic household needs

What LFS Navigators Cannot Do

This distinction matters because it sets realistic expectations. LFS navigators are trained support professionals, not attorneys. They cannot:

• Draft or customize a Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2604 Power of Attorney form for you
• Represent you in court or file guardianship petitions
• Provide legal advice about custody disputes or parental rights
• Override a school district's enrollment decision or a clinic's refusal

If you need a notarized delegation document that covers school enrollment, medical consent, and daily decision-making, the LFS navigator can point you toward the Nebraska Judicial Branch's free Form DC 6:10.1 and toward Legal Aid of Nebraska for income-qualifying families. But filling out the form correctly, getting it notarized, and knowing what to do when an institution refuses it — that operational guidance is where a structured resource like the School and Medical Consent guide for Nebraska fills the gap.

How to Use LFS and the Guide Together

The most effective approach treats LFS and a step-by-step consent guide as complementary tools rather than alternatives.

Call LFS first to get oriented. The navigator will assess your eligibility for financial programs, connect you with peer support, and identify whether your situation might require court intervention. Then use a detailed delegation guide to handle the paperwork side — executing the § 30-2604 POA correctly, preparing for school enrollment under Rule 19, building your medical consent documentation, and tracking the six-month renewal deadline.

Arriving at school offices and clinics with organized, notarized paperwork and a clear understanding of Nebraska-specific statutes helps you explain what authority you have and what documents support it.

Reaching LFS and Other Nebraska Kinship Support

• LFS Kinship Navigation Helpline: 1-833-572-2053 (toll-free, statewide)
• Website: onelfs.org
• Legal Aid of Nebraska: for guardianship petitions and court-involved situations (income-qualified)
• Nebraska Judicial Branch Self-Help: free Form DC 6:10.1 for temporary delegation of parental powers

If you want a complete walkthrough of every consent instrument Nebraska recognizes — the § 30-2604 POA, NDE Rule 19 school enrollment, medical consent protocols, and the decision matrix for when guardianship becomes the better route — the School and Medical Consent guide covers it all in one place.

See more Nebraska guides →